Protocol jitters: President forgets to honour flag in Mexico

MEXICO: President Pratibha Patil gave protocol jitters as she inadvertently passed the Mexican flag at the ceremonial reception without bowing but quickly went back after her attention was drawn by the Mexican Guard Commander.

Patil, who was inspecting a guard of honour by the Mexican Presidential Guards, walked past the flag without realising that her Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon had stopped to pay respect to his country's flag.

The President then moved ahead without stopping before the Indian flag. "Madam President...," the Guard Commander called out and Patil quickly retraced her steps and honoured the flag.

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This story is significant because it shows how such a minor mistake can be made into a large event when your visiting another country. It was very good that the Indian President was visiting Mexico but she needs to be careful when there is so many people watching her.

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Oil sit-in pushes out Mexico MPs

A sit-in protest by leftist politicians over energy reform plans has forced Mexico's Congress to relocate for the first time in almost 20 years.

Lawmakers had to cram into conference rooms to press ahead with routine business on Tuesday.
Leftist MPs seized the podiums of both houses last week in protest at plans to ease limits on private involvement in the state oil giant, Pemex.

The government says Pemex needs outside investment to boost falling production.

Congress has only been forced out of its chamber a handful of times in Mexican history - the last time was in 1989 when the lower house had to evacuate because of a fire.

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This story is significant because an occurence such as this has not happened in years and it is a very big deal. The fact that these MPs were angered enough to protest so harshly makes a clear statement that something should be done to correct this problem.

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Agreement to help cross-marketing in U.S., Mexico

Helping businesses in Mexico find markets in the United States and helping El Paso area businesses find markets in Mexico is one of the aims of an agreement signed Tuesday.

The collaborative agreement between El Paso Community College's Small Business Development Center and its counterpart at Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (University of Chihuahua) in Chihuahua City, Mexico, was signed by the leaders of the two schools at a ceremony.

"They have needs we can help them with, and they can help us understand business practices in Mexico and Chihuahua," said Roque Segura, director of the Small Business Development Center. "We've done things informally (with the university), but this allows us to leverage more programming."

The agreement calls for sharing business education, program development, research, and international trade assistance, Segura said. The university has a branch in Juárez, which will be involved in the agreement, he said.

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This story is significant because cross-marketing will benefit the US as well as Mexico. The tie between these two countries is constantly being improved and this is one more step towards great improvements.

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Parkway Products opens new facility in Mexico

Parkway Products (Florence, Ky.), a molder of high-performance polymers, announced on March 24 the formation of a comprehensive aerospace molding campus in Mexico. The campus will support the growing demand for aerospace composite structures and assemblies, as well as molded aircraft engine components.

Parkway has been active in the aerospace industry since the 1950s, producing various civil and military aircraft components. Parkway expanded its operations internationally by establishing a molding and assembly facility in Saltillo, Mexico, in 2001. This facility will continue in operation, focusing exclusively on the production of aircraft engine components and assemblies. A second facility, located adjacent to Parkway’s existing location, has been acquired for the purpose of molding composite airframe components. Polymer-based composites are expected to capture a major presence in aerostructures, with composites taking the place of traditionally metal based materials.

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Parkway Products, a molder of high-performance polymers used in the aerospace industry, has announced that they will be constructing an aerospace molding campus in Mexico.

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GDP: Panama Best, Mexico Worst

Panama will continue to have Latin America's highest economic growth, while Mexico will have the lowest, according to a Latin Business Chronicle analysis of new data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

All in all, Latin America is expected to increase its GDP this year by 4.4 percent, the fund said in its latest World Economic Outlook released last week. That's a slight revision upwards from the 4.3 percent GDP growth the IMF had forecast earlier. It's also better than the IMF's forecast for global growth (3.7 percent) and economic growth in the United States (0.5 percent), the European Union (1.8 percent) and newly industrialized Asian economies (3.9 percent). However, Latin America will lag areas like developing Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States when it comes to GDP growth this year.

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According to a Latin business chronicle analysis, Panama will continue to have the highest level of economic growth and Mexico will have the least amount out of all the Latin American countries. Overall, Latin America is America is projected to raise its GDP this year by 4.4 percent.

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Mexico Congress oil row deepens

Leftist politicians in Mexico who last week stormed both houses of Congress have vowed to remain in protest at planned reform of the state oil giant.

The government says the Pemex oil company needs outside investment to boost falling production and increase exploration for new reserves.

But the protesting deputies and senators argue that this will lead to a creeping privatisation of Pemex.

The protesters want a broad debate on Pemex, in state hands for 70 years.

Leftist deputies and senators have been camped out on the floors of the upper and lower houses since they took over the Congress building last week.

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A group of politicians in Mexico are standing strong with their protests over the planned reform of an oil giant. The protestors are going on a hunger strike and have been camped out since last week.

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Oil exploration issue splits Mexico

Leftist party decries Calderon's proposal to enlist foreign firms in deep-water drilling.

By Héctor Tobar and Marla Dickerson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers March 27, 2008

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's oil has long been a source of national pride. Now, with reserves dwindling away, President Felipe Calderon has floated a controversial initiative to rescue the government oil giant, Pemex: allow foreigners to help the company drill for oil.

The debate over "energy reform" has split Mexico's political class, with the left threatening national civil disobedience to stop Congress from considering it and a key centrist ally of Calderon withdrawing its support.

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This story is significant because the oil industry has been one full of controversy. Allowing other companies to help in the search for oil is a very big decision.

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Mexican Wave Gets Revenge

March 28, 2008 12:00am

TREAD warily, Kevin Rudd.

While the Prime Minister and his new best buddies, the Labor premiers, are rejoicing after Wednesday's love-fest in Adelaide, Mr Rudd risks a voter backlash as he jets off on his 18-day global odyssey.

Already some of his senior colleagues are predicting the PM will find some convenient excuse to cut short his five-country tour.

We will see.

Opposition leader Brendan Nelson is right, though, to question the wisdom of spending so much time away, during the lead-up to Labor's first Budget.

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This story is significant because Mr. Rudd is doing something that he has planned on helping him but is now potentially hurting him.

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Mexico plans water supply boost

President Felipe Calderon said the government would invest $21bn (£10.6bn) to expand supply networks and to improve drainage and water treatment.

The aim was to work for the sustainable development of Mexico, he said.

A key challenge is Mexico City, home to 20 million people, which suffers both water shortages and flash floods.

"There is an imbalance between the availability of water, population growth and economic development," said President Calderon as he unveiled the investment programme during a visit to the state of Hidalgo.

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President Calderon wants to invest 21 billion dollars to improve drainage and water treatment throughout Mexico. Water drainage and water treatment are two of the bigget problems facing Mexico at this time due to poor water availability and flooding.

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Mexican stocks jump 1.6 pct on Bear Stearns news

MEXICO CITY, March 24 (Reuters) - Mexican stocks jumped in early trade on Monday as news that JPMorgan Chase & Co had quintupled its offer to buy Bear Stearns Cos buoyed investor sentiment.

The benchmark IPC rose 1.6 percent to 29,528 points, with bellwether telecom America Movil leading the rally. (Reporting by Michael O'Boyle; Editing by James Dalgleish)

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This story is significant because the stocks in a country can influence the country itself greatly. The economy can either be helped, such as in this case, or hurt which happens often as well.

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Mexico's Ruling Party Delays Proposal for Energy Bill

March 24 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party delayed plans to unveil a bill that would open up the state oil industry to private or foreign investment.

Calderon's government or allied lawmakers will present an energy bill in 10 to 15 days, said Hector Larios, leader of the party in the lower house of Congress. The reform proposal had been planned for release by the end of March.

The delay has allowed opposition politicians, led by former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, more time to criticize the government's plan by calling it a sale of the nation's oil riches. That resistance, as well as objections by some members of the Institutional Revolution Party, or PRI, may be pushing Calderon's party to soften its proposal.

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President Calderon delayed plans for a bill that would open the Mexican oil industry to private or foreign investment. Calderon and his lawmakers will present a new energy plan in the next ten to fifteen days.

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Mexico, China May Extend Tariffs on Chinese Textiles

March 10 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon said his government is in talks with China to reach a settlement over tariffs on Chinese textiles and other products currently as high as 1,000 percent.

The negotiations were disclosed by Calderon today at a gathering of textile industry executives in Mexico City.

In December, Mexico announced a plan to keep duties on Chinese textiles, toys and shoes while it reviews the imports for possible unfair trade practices. The tariffs, in place since 1993, don't meet World Trade Organization rules. Mexico said last year that it is allowed to keep the import duties while it completes the review.

``We have a very positive expectations that we will reach a satisfactory agreement with China,'' Calderon said.

An agreement that keeps some duties on Chinese imports would boost the industry and save jobs, said Rafael Zaga, former president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry, at the same event.

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Mexico is currently trying to negotiate tariff agreements with China over textile imports. This would boost the Mexican job industry and save jobs.

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Mexico's new justice

The Mexican Congress has approved an overhaul of the country's judicial system, which is so rife with corruption, caprice and ineptitude that many doubted such a day would ever come. The reforms require a constitutional amendment to take effect, meaning they must be ratified by 17 of Mexico's 31 states. If the overwhelming support of legislators is an indicator, they should pass with ease.

Under the current system, based on Roman and Napoleonic codes, lawyers submit their cases in writing, and judges come to their decisions in secret. Under the new system, defendants would be granted the presumption of innocence, trials would be open to the public and lawyers would present oral arguments, among other welcome changes. Another provision, however, would permit organized crime suspects to be held for up to 80 days without being charged. This is particularly worrisome because Mexico's definition of organized crime is an illegal undertaking by three or more people. And trials for such suspects would still be conducted in secret. The potential for abuses and for a two-tiered justice system to emerge is enormous.

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An overhaul of the corrupted Mexican judcial system has recently been approved. This new change states that in order to make a constitutional ammendment, 17 of the 31 Mexican states must approve.

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Mexican Worker Money Transfers Drop at a Record Pace

March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Mexicans working abroad, mostly in the U.S., reduced money transfers to their families at home at a record pace in January as a U.S. housing slump squeezed construction employment.

Remittances, the second-biggest source of dollar flows into Mexico after oil exports, fell 5.9 percent in January to $1.65 billion from a year earlier, the central bank said today. It was the biggest decline since Banco de Mexico began records in 1995.

The drop may crimp spending by Mexican families and reflects weakness in U.S. construction, the biggest employer of Mexico's migrants. Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB, the nation's largest retailer, fell for the first time in three days in Mexico City trading.

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The amount of money transfers from the United States to Mexico is in its biggest decline since 1995. Many Mexican families with members working in America will be hurt by this decline in money transfers.

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Mexico's Insurance Association Sees 9.9% Growth In 2008

MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Mexico's insurance industry premiums will likely grow 9.9% this year to 208.39 billion pesos ($19.48 billion), Recaredo Arias, the general director of the country's insurance association said Monday.

The growth would fall short of last year's 11.9% rise to MXN190.3 billion, and could be affected if the U.S. economy fares worse than expected, Arias said at a press conference.

Sustained growth in the sector has been brought about in recent years thanks to overall economic growth and low inflation, the association, known as Amis, said in a press release.

Arias said Amis is beginning to benefit from efforts to increase use of insurance in Mexico, and aims to increase the value of its premiums as a percentage of gross domestic product, or GDP, to 5% between 2015 and 2020, up from just under 2% at the end of 2007.

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This story is very important because the GDP in Mexico is expected to increase to 5% in the next few years.

Mexico's Plan to Open Oil Industry Lacks Support

Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon's plan to overhaul energy laws and allow private investment in the state oil monopoly lacks political support, a prominent opposition senator said.

Senator Francisco Labastida of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, an opposition group, said ``there's no chance'' that ``comprehensive reform'' will pass. He spoke in an interview today at the senate building in Mexico City.

Failure to open the oil industry may mark the biggest political defeat yet for Calderon, who managed to win support for cutting pensions and raising taxes since taking office in December 2006. Mexico, the third-largest oil supplier to the U.S., needs the help of foreign and private companies to halt a decline in crude output and reserves, Calderon has said.

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Opening the oil industry would be a huge success for Calderon and Mexico and if it does not work out Mexico could be osing a lot of economic advantage.

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Mexican government announces $5.6 billion economic stimulus package

11:46 a.m. March 3, 2008

MEXICO CITY – President Felipe Calderón announced a 60-billion-peso ($5.6 billion) package of tax breaks, utility-rates discounts and spending programs Monday to help Mexico's economy weather the slowdown in the U.S. economy.

Companies will get a 3 percent income tax break for the next five months and 10- to 20-percent electricity rate reductions, as well as credit from development banks and an increase in infrastructure spending to help them overcome the effects of what Calderón called “an adverse international environment.”

“Since last year, the economic performance of our principal trading partner (the United States) has show signs of deceleration,” Calderón said at a ceremony to announce the package. “The problems in its financial sector and housing market make its prospects for growth in 2008 not very encouraging.”

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This article is very important because it is very important that Mexico not allow their economy to decrease because of the United States economic downfall.

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Mexico peso soars as investors eye Fed; stocks fall

MEXICO CITY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Mexico's peso surged to a 23-month high on Thursday and bonds jumped as signs the U.S. economy may be slipping into a recession led investors to bet the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates.

The peso MEX01 gained 0.67 percent to 10.668 per dollar at the official central bank close.

In equities trading, weak U.S. data helped push the benchmark stock IPC stock index .MXX down 0.97 percent to 30,130.47 points, snapping a six-session rally.

"It's all about expectations of a rate cut," said Vicente Gonzalez, who heads currency trading at ABN AMRO in Mexico City.

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Mexico's peso reached its highest value in 23 months while the U.S. economy is in a decline. The peso went up 0.67 percent to 10.668 per dollar.

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Two laws target smokers in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY -- The news for smokers was bad. The question was how bad.

Smokers and restaurateurs and other business owners in Mexico City on Wednesday were debating the ramifications of not one but two groundbreaking laws seeking to curb smoking. Some were scratching their heads over which they would have to obey, and many others expressed skepticism that either would be effectively enforced.

"I'm sure that neither . . . is going to succeed," said Andres Romero Olivares, a 47-year-old accountant, who saw the restrictions as the wrong solution to the nation's health woes.

On Tuesday, the Mexican Senate passed nationwide restrictions on smoking in workplaces, restaurants, bars and other public enclosures, requiring stiff fines for violations and possible 36-hour jail stints for smokers who refuse to comply. That measure, already passed by Congress' lower house, is expected to be signed into law by President Felipe Calderon.

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Two new laws were passed in Mexico nation-wide banning smoking in public enclosures. Violations of this law coould require large fines or possible jail time and many citizens don't agree with it.

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Two laws target smokers in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY -- The news for smokers was bad.

The question was how bad.Smokers and restaurateurs and other business owners in Mexico City on Wednesday were debating the ramifications of not one but two groundbreaking laws seeking to curb smoking. Some were scratching their heads over which they would have to obey, and many others expressed skepticism that either would be effectively enforced.

"I'm sure that neither . . . is going to succeed," said Andres Romero Olivares, a 47-year-old accountant, who saw the restrictions as the wrong solution to the nation's health woes.

On Tuesday, the Mexican Senate passed nationwide restrictions on smoking in workplaces, restaurants, bars and other public enclosures, requiring stiff fines for violations and possible 36-hour jail stints for smokers who refuse to comply. That measure, already passed by Congress' lower house, is expected to be signed into law by President Felipe Calderon.

Náhuatl revival sought

Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard wants all city staff members, from hospital workers to bus drivers, to learn the Aztec language Náhuatl in an effort to revive the ancient tongue, the city government said yesterday. Ebrard, seen as a possible presidential candidate for the leftist Democratic Revolution Party in 2012, presented his government's development plan last week translated for the first time into Náhuatl.

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This story is very interesting because quite frankly, its somewhat stupid. Maybe I just didnt see the importance of knowing this language but it sure seems pointless.

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NCR inks deal for kiosks in Mexico International Airport

NCR Corp. is expanding its presence at Mexico International Airport, the company announced Tuesday.

AeroMexico purchased 32 self-check-in kiosks in its new terminal at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. The Mexican airline currently uses NCR self-check kiosks at seven additional locations throughout Mexico which include Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"As Mexico continues to grow into one of the world's top destinations for travel and tourism, airlines in the region must increasingly differentiate themselves by offering time savings and convenience to their customers," said Michael O'Laughlin, vice president for the Caribbean and Latin America for NCR.

The kiosks feature an integrated bar code imager to help enable easy customer identification as well as an integrated passport reader to cater to international travelers.

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Mexico is growing as one of the most popular destinations in the world, so they have decided to make it easier for their customers in some of their most popular airports.

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Mexico sets 25 percent renewable goal

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Within four years, Mexico wants to produce 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, the country's energy secretary said.

"The goal is that in 2012 renewable energy sources will account for more than a quarter of total capacity," said Georgina Kessel.

One of the Mexican government's priorities is to promote renewable energy as a means of ensuring the country's energy security, Spanish news agency EFE reported.

An important part of that strategy will be the construction of wind farms in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec where installed capacity is expected to exceed 2,500 megawatts in 2012, Kessel said.

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This story is significant because the issue dealing with energy and energy sources is a very important one. With natural resources running out an alternative source of energy is very badly needed.

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Mexico's PRI Limits Opening of Oil to Border Fields

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party is pushing to limit foreign or private investment in the state oil monopoly to offshore fields near the U.S. border, a senator said.

The party agrees that Petroleos Mexicanos needs alliances with foreign companies to prevent U.S.-based producers from depleting fields that straddle the border before Mexico can get to them, Sen. Francisco Labastida told Televisa television today. Brazil's state-controlled Petroleo Brasileiro SA and Norway's StatoilHydro ASA would be suitable partners, he said.

Labastida, head of the Senate Energy Committee, is one of his party's top negotiators with President Felipe Calderon's National Action Party, which is seeking support for a broader overhaul of energy laws. Calderon says state company Petroleos Mexicanos needs the help of foreign companies throughout the Gulf of Mexico to halt a decline in crude output and reserves.

Labastida said the two parties are yet to reach agreements on the scope of the energy bill.

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This story is significant because it not only affects Mexico's government but the governments of the surrounding countries as well. This decision should be profitable for multiple countries.

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Mexico's human rights commission investigates border shooting

MEXICO CITY — Mexico's human rights commission on Wednesday said it was investigating allegations that soldiers opened fire on a car at a checkpoint south of the Texas border, killing a man and wounding a U.S. citizen.

Jose Antonio Barbosa Ramirez solicited the National Human Rights Commission's help after the Mexican army opened fire on a car he was traveling in with his brother-in-law, Sergio Meza Varela, early Saturday morning in the border city of Reynosa in Tamaulipas state, the commission said in a statement.

The statement said the men had been drinking and doing drugs and decided to drive around the city. At about 4 a.m. Saturday, they were chased by a military-style Jeep and ended up at an army checkpoint where they attempted to flee by putting the car in reverse.

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There is an ongoing investigation involving allegations that soldiers opened fire on a car on the Texas-Mexico border, killing a man and injuring another. The men driving the car had supposedly been drinking and doing drugs.

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AOL Launches Mexico Site

NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Time Warner Inc.'s AOL said Thursday that it launched a Web site for users in Mexico that combines its free e-mail and instant messaging features with local content in Spanish.

AOL partnered with fixed-line company Alestra for distribution and Mexican magazine company Grupo Editorial Expansion for content. Grupo Editorial Expansion is owned by Time Warner's magazine publishing unit, Time Inc.

AOL said it will also use its global distribution partnership with Hewlett-Packard Co. to offer a cobranded local language portal and search functions to the Mexican market.

The site is located at AOL.com.mx.

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America Online opened a new site in spanish that includes free e-mail, instant messaging, and local content updates. AOL has partnered with a Mexican magazine company for the content updates.

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Mexico hopes to normalize relations with Cuba

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government said Tuesday that it would continue to push for the development of Mexico-Cuba relations to realize the normalization of bilateral ties at an early date.

The Foreign Ministry statement was issued following the announcement by Cuban leader Fidel Castro that he is stepping down as president of the Council of Ministers and president of the Council of the State of Cuba.

The statement reaffirmed Mexico's willingness to promote the development of its relations with Cuba, adding that Mexico respects the independent decision and the will of the Cuban people on the issue.

The Mexican government wished Castro a quick recovery and said it would closely follow developments in Cuba's political situation.

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This story is significant because any time two countries work towards reconciling there relationships it helps them as well as other countries.

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Mexico's Economic Growth Unexpectedly Accelerates

Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's economic growth unexpectedly accelerated in the fourth quarter, led by the transportation and communications industries.

Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of a country's output of goods and services, expanded 3.8 percent from a year earlier, the finance ministry said today.

The growth defied the predictions of most economists, who expected Mexico would be hurt by slowing demand from the U.S., its biggest trading partner. The government succeeded in its plan to boost domestic demand to compensate for a slump in exports, said Alfredo Coutino, senior economist for Latin America at Moody's Economy in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He predicts growth will continue to accelerate.

``This is going to be the first time in many years in which Mexico is going to move in the opposite direction as the U.S. business cycle,'' Coutino said in an interview.

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This story is significant because the economy was expected to decrease and it surprisingly increased. The U.S. business cycle moved in the opposite direction which is very surprising.

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Deadly Bomb in Mexico Was Meant for the Police

MEXICO CITY — Investigators have determined that a man linked to drug traffickers was trying to plant a bomb in a police official’s car when it blew up and killed him on a busy avenue here last week, the city’s attorney general said.

The attorney general, Rodolfo Félix Cárdenas, said Wednesday that six more people were being sought in connection with the explosion on Friday.

The blast unsettled the residents of the capital, which had so far escaped much of the drug violence that has racked other parts of the country.

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A man supposedly linked with drug trafficking in Mexico tried to plant a bomb in a police car when it exploded and killed him. Six other people are being linked with this attack.

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Assessment Complete

Mexico's Women-only Buses

Tuesday , 12 February 2008

CAIRO — Fed up with lecherous men taking advantage of the cheek-to-jowl conditions in the North American country's crowded transport system, Mexico's most populous city is running women-only buses. "There are good men in Mexico, but they’re not the ones on public transport," Mariana Vasquez, 30, told The New York Times on Monday, February 11.

"They try to touch you. They don’t give you a seat. Where are the gentlemen?"

Mexico City began in January running women-only buses to reduce unseemly behavior on public buses.

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This story is significant because discrimination to this extent has not been seen in many years. Something should be done about this issue very soon.

During U.S. visit, Calderón pushes for fair treatment of Mexicans

12:00 AM CST on Tuesday, February 12, 2008

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Mexican President Felipe Calderón on Monday evening outlined a series of reforms his government has taken to transform Mexico and exhorted the U.S. to give his countrymen living and working in the U.S. their basic dignity and rights.

"Human beings should be treated as human beings," Mr. Calderón told a group at Harvard University, acknowledging that his country has to do more to improve its relationship with Central American immigrants. "Central American workers provide benefits for Mexico, and Mexican workers provide benefits for the United States."

It was the second day of a five-day coast-to-coast U.S. visit for Mr. Calderón – his first since taking office in December 2006.

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This story is significant because Calderon voiced his opinion on how he feels about the Mexican immigrants.

Mexican president makes first U.S. visit, including California

5:24 p.m. February 8, 2008

MEXICO CITY – Mexican President Felipe Calderón's first trip to the United States next week is a high-stakes effort to shape the immigration debate during the U.S. presidential race.

Calderón won't meet President Bush or any of his would-be successors this trip, but will make his voice heard in major U.S. cities at a time when both Republican and Democratic candidates are carefully calibrating their positions on hot-button issues such as the border wall, deportations, guest-worker programs and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

Many undocumented Mexican migrants who have raised families and built careers in the United States are facing a much bleaker future as federal, state and local governments crack down. And the election year isn't helping, according to Calderón, who has accused U.S. presidential candidates of using migrants as “symbolic hostages in their speeches and strategies.”

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This story is significant because this will be the first visit to America for President Calderon. With the presidential election coming soon what to do with the immigrants is a very important topic.

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Mexico's Calderon to reduce army role in drug war

MEXICO CITY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon said on Wednesday he wants to phase out the army's role in fighting drug traffickers as the country works to reform its notoriously corrupt police forces.

"We must clean up and strengthen the police forces across the country so that the participation of the army in the fight against crime will become less and less necessary," Calderon said at an event with Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human rights.

Calderon has mobilized some 25,000 Mexican troops since taking office in December 2006 to try to crush powerful drug cartels that are warring over lucrative smuggling routes to the United States.

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The Mexican President has called for a reduction of the Mexican Army's role in the fight agianst drug trafficking. Many officers have been killed in this struggle and the problems are only getting worse.

U.S. shares the spoils with Mexico

HOUSTON -- "All right," was the assessment of legendary Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos as he left his luxury box following Mexico's 2-2 tie with the U.S. on Wednesday. "Next time we'll win," he said, before cracking a smile and sticking his tongue out to reveal he wasn't so sure.

El Tri failed for the 10th straight time to beat the U.S. on American soil, but this time the dominating contingent of Mexican supporters in the Houston crowd of 70,103 wasn't left as disappointed as usual.

In the previous nine U.S.-hosted Mexico games, the U.S. won eight and tied once while outscoring the Mexicans, 15-1.

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On Wednesday, the United States national soccer team tied Mexico 2-2 in what was a thrilling match. The USA has not lost to Mexico in their last ten matches played in America. This means the intense rivalry between these two soccer powerhouses will continue.

Mexico police caught between drug crackdown, cartels

MEXICO CITY - Poorly trained, badly paid and vulnerable to corruption, Mexico's legions of local police are increasingly caught in the crossfire as the Mexican government embarks on a crackdown on drug smugglers.

Dozens of municipal police have been killed in recent months in apparent drug hits, and several others, including the intelligence chief of Mexico City's Police Department, are under investigation, suspected of links to smugglers.

Last month, the Mexican government announced it was scrutinizing police commanders nationwide, and the Mexican army said it was disarming 300 police along the Texas border while prosecutors investigated them.

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Many Mexican police officers have been killed in the war against drugs. Many are untrained, poorly paid, and not equipped for the job yet they still fight in this crackdown on drugs.

Thousands in Mexico Urge Government to Renegotiate NAFTA

Tens of thousands of agricultural workers and their union representatives gathered at Mexico City's downtown plaza, the Zocalo, on Thursday to complain about the agriculture provisions in the North America Free Trade Agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Agricultural workers with tractors, cows and banners -estimated over 100,000 by media reports - came together, urging the Mexican government to renegotiate the rules in the agricultural part of the Agreement that do away with customs tariffs for corn, beans, sugar and milk starting in 2008.

"We have lost our way as a nation. We have given up sovereignty over food and energy," said Cruz Lopez, the speaker of the National Agricultural workers Confederation (CNC for its acronym in Spanish) according to Spain daily ABC.

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This story is significant because NAFTA is angering many people in Mexico as well as other places. The farmers feel that the tariffs are not fair and need to be changed.

Mexico's programme to aid jailed mothers

What to do with children born to women serving time is a social dilemma that tests even the most advanced prison regimes.

In Mexico, the authorities believe they are starting to deal with the problem head on, with some dramatic results.

They have started allowing babies born in jail to stay with their mothers until they are six years old.

Compare that to England or Scotland, where typically mothers can only keep their babies until they are 18 months old, and then only in exceptional circumstances.

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This story is significant because what to do with babies born while the Mom is in jail is a very important issue. The decision Mexico has made is one of the first of its kind and I believe it is a very well thought out one.

Assessment Complete

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - It was fear of the hefty bill as much as fear of the drill that kept American musician Don Clay away from U.S. dental clinics for 30 years.

When a sorely infected tooth eventually drove him to the dentist last month, it was to a clinic in a Mexican border city better known for violent crime and drug cartels.

Shrugging off concerns about hygiene and Mexico's brutal drug war, thousands of Americans are heading to Ciudad Juarez and other Mexican border cities for cheap dental treatment.

U.S. dental treatment costs up to four times as much as in Mexico, making it tough for uninsured Americans to treat common problems such as abscessed teeth or pay for dentures.

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Many Americans are starting to go to Mexico for cheaper dental work. Many Americans who are uninsured go across the border because it can cost up to four times less than
American dental work.

Mexico's new bumper crop: More illegal immigrants?

While U.S. politicians talk about building walls along the border and telling undocumented immigrants to "go home," a mass protest Thursday in downtown Mexico City pointed to one of the main causes of illegal immigration: the erosion of Mexico's rural farm economy in recent decades.

Thousands of Mexican small farmers swept into the capital this week, driving tractors and hauling cows (see video). They were protesting the lifting of trade restrictions on agricultural commodities like corn, rice and oats. The farmers say lifting these restrictions will put them out of work, because they won't be able to compete with powerful U.S. agri-businesses, and they're pressuring Mexico's government to renegotiate portions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States and Canada.

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One major reason for illegal immigration of Mexicans into America is the decline of Mexico's farm economy in recent years. Recently, a mass protest in Mexico City took place to point out the issue.

Mexico protests against U.S. for firing tear gas to its territory

MEXICO CITY, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government protested on Friday against the U.S. Border Patrol's repeated firing of tear gases against Mexicans on Mexican territory.

"The firing of tear gases does not contribute at all to constructive understanding and collaboration, which should prevail between both countries for the attention to the border violence," stated Mexico's Foreign Ministry in a statement on Friday.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry added that it requested "a thorough investigation of the (U.S.) aggressions against a Mexican minor" that occurred in January.

The U.S. Border Patrol agents fired tear gas onto the Mexican side of the border in January, and in one of the incidents wounded a boy, whose identity was withheld, near the Mexico-U.S. border zone in Tijuana city, in the northwestern Mexican state of Baja California.

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Mexico is currently not happy with the U.S.'s use of tear gas on Mexican's in Mexican territory. They claim that the use of the gas isn't helping border relations between the two countries.

Mexican retailers to boost 2008 investment 17 pct

MEXICO CITY, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Mexican retailers plan to increase investment by 17 percent this year to open and remodel stores despite a sluggish economy, the National Association of Supermarkets and Department Stores said on Wednesday.

"The expected investment in 2008 is $3 billion, which will result in an 11 percent expansion in sales floors," ANTAD President Vicente Yanez told a news conference.

Last year, ANTAD members invested $2.56 billion.

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This story is significant because Mexico is planning on investing much more money than in previous years. The sales floors will be expanded greatly.

Mexico court clears Portillo move

Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled that the former president of Guatemala, Alfonso Portillo, can be extradited to his home country to face fraud charges.

Mr Portillo, in office from 2000 to 2004, is wanted over the disappearance of $15.7m (£7.9m) earmarked for the defence ministry.

Mexico authorised his extradition in 2006, but Mr Portillo's defence team challenged the move in several courts.

Mr Portillo denies any wrongdoing and his lawyers say their fight will go on.

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This story is significant because a man is being accused for the stealing of a large sum of money. This former president is in a very bad position because Mexico is trying very hard to find him guilty.

Scholar: NAFTA has helped Mexico, but not enough

10:15 p.m. January 27, 2008

NAFTA has done the job it was negotiated for, but it has not been enough, a Mexican political economist says.

Gustavo Vega, director of the Center for International Studies at the prestigious Colegio de Mexico in Mexico City, said that while NAFTA has helped create more jobs for Mexicans, it has not helped create enough of them.

Still, had it not been for passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993, Mexico would have suffered a much-greater financial crisis after its economy crashed in December 1994, he said.

“It helped us to recover from the crisis sooner rather than later,” Vega told the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at the University of California San Diego on Tuesday. Two million jobs were created in Mexico between 1995 to 2001, according to Vega. “But we need a million every year. It is not enough,” he said.

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This story is significant because NAFTA did not bring about the many jobs Mexixo expected. They feel as if NAFTA has done some good but has not fulfilled all the expectations.

Assessment Complete

Mexico's Cantarell Dec oil output hits 2007 low

MEXICO CITY, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Crude oil output from Mexico's huge but aging Cantarell offshore field fell to 1.260 million barrels per day in December, the energy ministry reported on Saturday.

It was the field's lowest monthly output level last year and a 16 percent drop from December 2006's 1.493 million bpd.

The fall in output meant Cantarell, the jewel of Mexico's oil industry since the late 1970s but now in decline, accounted for just 43 percent of Mexico's oil production in December. For years it had accounted for 60 percent of output.

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This article is very significant because oil is at the top of many countries priority lists and this will effect many countries.

Mexico peso, stocks rise on US stimulus plan optimism

MEXICO CITY, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Mexico's peso firmed for the third straight day on Thursday and stocks jumped amid optimism about U.S. government and central bank efforts to boost the world's largest economy.

The peso MEX01 strengthened 0.39 percent to 10.898 per dollar, while the benchmark IPC stock index .MXX rose 1.03 percent to 27,905.13 points.

The U.S. Congress and the White House agreed on the details of a $150 billion package, first announced last week, to stimulate the economy of the United States which many investors fear is slipping into a recession.

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While many investors fear that the U.S. will slowly slip into a recession, the value of a Mexican peso increased by .39 percent. This can only mean good things for the Mexican economy.

Mexico anti-drug official says target of hit men

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's deputy attorney general said on Thursday that three men arrested in Mexico City last week with shoulder-fired rockets, rifles and a submachine gun were planning to kill him.



Jose Luis Santiago, the point man in the country's war on drug gangs and the official in charge of extraditing drug bosses to the United States, said the suspected hit men may belong to the Sinaloa Cartel, which dominates Mexico's Pacific Coast cocaine smuggling routes.

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The Mexican deputy attorney general claims that three men arrested with firearms and explosives were out to kill him. The deputy attorney general is one of the leaders in the country's war on drugs.

Mexico Jan. Consumer Prices Rise Less Than Expected

Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican consumer prices rose less than economists expected in the first half of January because of declines in tomato and travel costs.

Consumer prices rose 0.27 percent in the first 15 days of the month, compared with a 0.20 percent increase a month earlier, the central bank said today on its Web site. The rate was less than the median estimate of 0.38 percent in a Bloomberg survey of 18 economists.

``This is going to put some of their worries about inflation at ease,'' said Rafael de la Fuente, senior economist for Latin America at BNP Paribas in New York, in a telephone interview.

Mexico's central bank, after raising the benchmark interest rate twice in 2007, may reverse tack and cut it later this year should the U.S. face a recession and hurt the Mexican economy, said Delia Paredes, senior economist at Banco Santander in Mexico City, ahead of the report.

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Mexican consumer prices didn't rise as much as economists predicted it would for the month of January. Because of this, Mexico doesn't have to worry so much about inflation.

Mexico's PRI May Slow Congress Unless Cardenas Fired

Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico's largest opposition party stepped up pressure on President Felipe Calderon to fire his agriculture minister, threatening to delay proposed legislation, including a plan to revamp the state oil company.

Unless Calderon removes Alberto Cardenas, he risks having his plans ``bogged down,'' said Hector Padilla, a lawmaker from the Institutional Revolutionary Party and head of the agriculture committee. The party says Cardenas failed to win bigger agricultural subsidies and restrict imports of U.S. sugar and corn, depressing prices for farmers in Mexico.

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This story is very significant because when this particular party is unhappy, Mexico's government is under a lot of pressure to fix the problem. In this particular case the agriculture minister seemed to not be doing a very good job at controlling many of the jobs he was hired to do.

Violence spikes in Mexico

Fri Jan 18, 7:01 PM ET

TIJUANA, Mexico - Rosalba Padilla thought the first shots were nothing but construction in her quiet, upper-class Tijuana neighborhood. It wasn't until she looked out her window and saw a sea of police that she realized the noise was gunfire.

Down the street, at the Preschool of Happiness, director Gloria Rico activated the school's alarm, prompting police to rush into the building, their guns drawn. Rico said the children were terrified by the chaos

The fighting erupted as federal agents raided a house near the U.S. border Thursday that authorities say sheltered gunmen linked to drug traffickers. Soldiers and police joined skirmishing that became a chaotic three-hour battle. A federal agent and a gunman died and four officers were wounded in the latest outbreak of violence across the border from San Diego. Inside the house, authorities later found six slain kidnap victims.

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This story is ecspecially significant because it shows that shootings and violent crimes can occur anywhere at any time. Shootings in and around schools have been a very common occurence lately and it is a very serious subject.

Assessment Complete

Assessment Complete

US, Mexico strengthen gun checks

US Attorney General Michael Mukasey said Mexican police who seized arms could use the system to notify the US who would then target the dealers.

Mexico has been struggling to deal with heavily-armed drug traffickers.

It has complained that its northern neighbour is not doing enough to stop the flow of illegal arms into Mexico.

Mr Mukasey also urged the US Congress not to be distracted by the presidential election and approve the proposed $1.4bn (£712m) joint US-Mexican anti-drug plan, known as the Merida Initiative.

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This is signifigant because the U.S. is now giving Mexico access to a database that would let them trace smuggled weapons. This will not only help the U.S., but Mexico too in their fight against violence and drug trafficking.

Mexico gets new domestic security chief

Wed Jan 16, 3:43 PM ET

MEXICO CITY - President Felipe Calderon replaced his domestic security chief on Wednesday with a young, Spanish-born and U.S.-educated aide who led his 2006 campaign effort.

Juan Camilo Mourino took over as interior secretary, replacing Francisco Ramirez Acuna, who stepped down amid an upsurge in drug-fueled killings and criticism that he has cracked down on opposition protests. He said he was resigning to "pursue personal activities."

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This article is very significant because any time a major job such as a domestic security chief changes operators there are many risks at stake.