Mexico+Briefing

Country Briefing: March 8th, 2011 media type="custom" key="8609042"

 Foreign 1. http://www.cnn.com/2011/ WORLD/americas/03/04/mexico. reverse.migration/index.html 2. http://www.cnn.com/2011/ WORLD/americas/03/02/us. calderon.obama.visit/index. html 3. http://www.cnn.com/2011/ WORLD/americas/03/03/us. mexico.unarmed.agents/index. html

Domestic 1. http://www.cnn.com/2011/ WORLD/americas/03/06/mexico. juarez.mayor/index.html 2. http://www.cnn.com/2011/ WORLD/americas/03/04/mexico. military.drugs/index.html 3. http://www.cnn.com/2011/ WORLD/americas/02/28/mexico. violence/index.html

Extra Story 1. http://www.cnn.com/2011/ WORLD/americas/02/20/mexico. hunger.strike/index.html

Country Briefing November 16, 2010

__ Domestic Issues Articles __

Five killed in attack at Mexican border city bar

Once again, Ciudad Juarez has made the news for drug related deaths. These five deaths were more murders related to the drug wars currently plaguing the city that have claimed over 2,500 deaths in the city alone this year. It is believed that this was a planned assassination, as the thugs blockaded the exits upon entering the building and before opening fire. Although the police would like to find out who did this, the chances of doing so are very small, and as such they are not dedicating many officers to this task.

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Six dead in Mexico resort explosion

Thankfully, this is believed to be simply a natural gas explosion, not a terrorist attack. However, the official cause is still under investigation. Among the six dead was a minor from Canada, who had been vacationing in Mexico for a wedding. According to people staying at the resort, the blast sounded like a bomb going off. On top of the six dead, over a dozen people were injured. This comes at a bad time for Mexico, as it is trying to encourage its failing tourist industry into greater profits in order to support the country.



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Mexican lawmaker says jobs and education are key to fighting drug war

The president of the Mexican Senate, Manlio Beltrones, said in a press release that these two things are more important than any others in restoring peace to the country. At the present time, the fight against the drug cartels is simply a firefight according to Beltrones, but if more jobs were created and education was increased then the state would truly have a chance of victory. On a side note, he also said that if Proposition 19 had been passed in California, then there would be much more peace and tranquility in Mexico.

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__ Foreign Issues Articles __

Britain to expand ties to Latin America

In a shocking move, Britain has decided to halt its insular position towards Latin America that it has held ever sense the dispute over the Falkland Islands. It has committed to helping Latin American countries fight the drug war, be it mainly in an intelligence manner, more than by supplying troops. Also, the UK will attempt to increase its economic presence in the area, which is currently only hovering around 1%. Unfortunately, many simply see this as a ploy by the British to exploit other countries in hopes of salvaging their own ravaged economy.

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Mayors to take lead at climate summit

Before the United Nations convenes to talk about climate issues, the World Mayors Council on Climate Change decided to meet in Mexico City to talk about what local solutions could be introduced throughout the world. The leaders of this conference claim that it is too difficult for national programs to help combat climate change, and that smaller localities should attempt to help with the issue more. Overall, this conference gave a sense of global solidarity on the problem of climate change in urban areas.

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Mexico, Brazil plan trade agreement

This historic agreement would bring together the two largest Latin American economies in a free trade agreement. Although many Mexican farmers are protesting it, it will actually end up helping Mexico more than Brazil due to the difference in tax rates between the two nations. It has not been officially agreed upon yet, but both the Mexican and Brazilian embassy have said that the agreement should go through. This should hopefully jumpstart both of the nations’ economies, which have been struggling recently due to the global depression, as well as improving general relations between the nations.



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Country Briefing October 22nd, 2010
Police Burn 134 Tons of Marijuana Mexican police executed the biggest drug bust in the country's history, intercepting a convoy carrying 134 tons of marijuana and making 11 arrests. Reportedly it belonged to Mexico's biggest drug cartel, the Sinaloa cartel, and was headed toward the United States. On Wednesday, police began burning the seized supply, a process that officials said could take two days. []

Reward Offered for Kidnapping Case Mexican authorities announced a $1.2 million reward for information about the whereabouts of 14 children who were kidnapped in February of last year. A $400,00 reward is also being offered for information that could help with the arrest of the culprits. The children were kidnapped from orphanages and group homes and it is feared that they were sold as part of a human trafficking chain.

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Religious Parade Held for Virgin of Zapopan The Catholic Church in Mexico paraded a statue of the Virgin of Zapopan for over four miles in Guadalajara. The statue is a symbol of peace in Mexico, and some estimate that up to 2 million Catholics attended the annual parade, which was first celebrated 250 years ago. Most of the Catholics wore white to symbolize purity, and thousands of them made the four-mile walk barefoot to reaffirm their religious faith.

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Marisol Valles Garcia becomes Praxedis G. Guerrero's Police Chief 20-year old woman Marisol Garcia was sworn in Wednesday to become the chief of police of a small border town in Chihuahua. Her main challenge is the violence between drug gangs vying for control over a lucrative trafficking route; the gangs have been known to kill officials and terrorize civilians. Although some remained unconvinced that Garcia can perform her job adequately, her bravery and refusal to submit to fear must be commended.

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Mexico City Hosts 15th International Clown Convention Over 800 clowns from 10 different countries in the Americas attended the week-long 15th International Clown Convention in Mexico City. The clowns participated in contests, showcases, and performances, and exchanged skills and talents with other clowns. The goal of the convention was to increase respect and support for the trade, reminding people to smile even during difficult times. [] []

FBI Investigating Man's Death in Ciudad Juarez Jose Gil Hernandez Ramirez, a 21-year old member of the Texas National Guard, was gunned down in Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday. The Mexican citizen he was talking to was also killed. According to the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office, the shooting was a drive-by. Ciudad Juarez, considered off-limits to the U.S. military, has the highest murder rate in Mexico and dozens of Americans have been killed there over the past several years.

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Country Briefing September 20th, 2010
Border Governors Conference Under Way, Minus Most Governors

A conference between the governors of the six Mexican border states and the four U.S. border states began on Monday at Governor Richardson's home in Santa Fe. However, Governors Rick Perry of Texas and Jan Brewer of Arizona declined to attend, and co-host Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar of California cancelled at the last minute, sending his lieutenant governor in his stead. The conference was scheduled to address the pressing issue of illegal immigration. It was originally scheduled to take place in Arizona in July, but was postponed and relocated due to a planned boycott of Mexican governors of the meeting due to the controversial Arizona immigration legislation recently passed into law. []

Mexico Celebrates Bicentennial

September 16th was the 200th anniversary of Mexican independence, achieved from Spain in 1810. The event was marked by reenactments of revolutionary battles, extensively planned military parades, festivals, carnivals, and dances, with celebrations erupting across the country. The night before, President Felipe Calderon reenacted the famous "Grito de Dolores," the battle cry of the Mexican revolutionary leader Miguel Hidalgo. Despite the ever-present threat of drug cartel violence and a shaky economy, the fiercely patriotic Mexicans still found reason to celebrate their 200 years of independence. []

Mexican Supreme Court Minister Dies in England Jesus Gudino Pelayo died at the age of sixty seven in London on Sunday, September 19th. He had been a minister of the Mexican Supreme Court since 1995, and had ruled many times for socially liberal ideas, such as same-sex marriage and adoptions. This is especially impressive in a Catholic-dominated country like Mexico.With his passing, Mexico was put into a state of mourning, putting a damper on the continuing celebration of the bicentennial anniversary of independence. The cause of death was determined to be a heart attack. []

Mexican Paper Seeks Ciudad Juarez Drug Gang Guidance Louis Carlos Santiago, a 21-year-old newspaper photographer working for El Diario (a paper known for in-depth investigation of drug violence), was shot and killed in Juarez on September 17th. Rights groups say journalists are regularly being targeted by drug gangs due to their coverage of the brutality and illegality of cartels. El Diario published an editorial Sunday directed at drug cartels in Juarez as a response to the slaying of Santiago, asking the cartels what they want for peace and why they were killing journalists. However, the editorial insisted it was not "a surrender," instead claiming that it had simple become "impossible to do our job in these conditions." []

Hurricane Karl Hits Veracruz The east coast of Mexico was hit on September 17th by Hurricane Karl. It caused twelve immediate deaths; however, the death toll is continuing to rise due to flooding and other residual effects. President Felipe Calderon has declared a state of emergency for the majority of counties within the Mexican state of Veracruz, which is important because it allows the state to access emergency natural disaster funds. Scientists have speculated that not only will the floods immediately impact the people living near them, but they will also limit the production capabilities of the land affected by the floods for farming. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[]

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Mexican Flag Cartoon Controversy <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Daryl Cagle, an editorial cartoonist for MSNBC, recently has come under fire by the Mexican Embassy to the United States for his cartoon depiction of the Mexican flag. In it, the flag is shown as having a line of bullet holes through it, with the eagle shot to death in the center of it. Making a parody of any sort of the Mexican flag is illegal in Mexico, and so Mexican laws are being put up again the United States Constitution's freedom of speech. Cagle insists that he means no disrespect to Mexico by this cartoon, he is simply trying to draw the attention of the world to the violence in Mexico due to the drug cartels. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

Country Briefing for January 25, 2011

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Clinton heads to Mexico for bilateral talks] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|U.N.: Mexico should step up search for missing migrants] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|Recess in the Mexican audience who sought refuge in U.S.] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|Car bomb kills police officer in Mexico] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|At least 59 killed in Mexican city of Monterrey so far this year] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[|Three Mexican mayors killed so far this year] <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">media type="custom" key="8145248"