-
Home Contact
-
Baja California governor's race
-
Energy and other reforms under Peña Nieto
-
Crime news
-
@mexperspective.com
Tijuana-Tecate boundary agreement HumorJorge Hank Rhon exotic bird case -
-
Education
-
Solar, wind
power
in
Baja California -
Acronyms & Abbreviations
-
-
-
-
April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2013 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012July 2012June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011
September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011
Day of the DeadAbout
-
MexicoPerspective.com
A leading source for news and analysis about Mexico and the U.S.-Mexican border.
Thurday, May 16, 2013
Sempra rejects Ensenada mayor's request that it build an acqueduct from El Hongo to the Valle de Guadalupe
Sempra Energy's Carlos Ruiz Sacrisán requested Ensenada Mayor Enrique Pelayo's request that it build an acqueduct from El Hongo to the Valle de Guadalupe, El Mexicano newspaper reported. The paper said Pelayo responded by saying that 780 million is not much money for a transnational corporation. Story, El Mexicano (PDF).
Cash-strapped Ensenada has been exploring ways to get more water to the city; a controversial desalination plant also is planned.
Pelayo has had conflict with Sempra during his 2010-2013 term, including attempting to shut down Sempra's Costa Azul natural gas import terminal in Ensenada 2011.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tijuana archbishop lauds canonization of Mexican woman
Pope Francis' recent canonization of a Mexican woman should strengthen the faith, Tijuana's Catholic archbishop, Rafael Romo Muñoz, said. The woman canonized was Madre
Lupita García Zavala (1878-1963). Story, El Mexicano (PDF).
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Success predicted for Tijuana Book Fair, to be held this year at CECUT
Elsa Arnaiz, the head of Tijuana's Municipal Institute for Art and Culture, predicted that this year's Tijuana Book Fair, to be held June 7-16 at the federal Tijuana Cultural Center, will be a great success. In the last few years it has been held in the nearby Plaza Río Tijuana shopping center parking lot. One of the first announcements Pedro Ochoa made after returning to the CECUT director's post this year was that the book fair would be returning to CECUT. Story, El Mexicano (PDF).
Monday, May 13, 2013
New York Times writes about San Diego Mayor Bob Filner's 'Building Economic Bridges to Tijuana'
The New York Times wrote Sunday about San Diego Mayor Bob Filner's efforts "building economic bridges to Tijuana," mentioning his opening an office in Tijuana and his (apparently stillborn) bid to try to co-host the Olympics with Tijuana. The story made it sound as if expansion had not already taken place at the San Ysidro port of entry; Phase I is nearly done, although money has not been appropriated yet for Phases II and III, and what originally was supposed to be finished in 2016 now might not be done until 2019.
In a recent week, Filner spent part of a day in Mexicali, and then attended a meeting on the border-crossing expansion in San Ysidro. Then he and his fiancee attended a border non-profit fair at Point Loma Nazarene University before then going to an event at Friendship Park at the border the next day.
Story, New York Times.
Filner, Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante formalizing request for cities to co-host 2024 Olympics. Story, El Mexicano (PDF).
Sunday, May 12, 2013
L.A. Times writes about Tijuana cultural revival
The Los Angeles wrote Sunday about how Tijuana's nightlife has made a revival since 2010 that is aimed at a local, rather than U.S., audience. It said new establishments are opening in many of the vacant storefronts in downtown Tijuana.
It quoted Tijuanalandia blogger Jason Fritz as suggesting that Tijuana youth also may see them themselves as part of an Internet-linked global conversation.
Los Angeles Times story: "In Tijuana, creative energy brings new life: Local entrepreneurs and artists are driving a cultural revival on the border city's most popular streets as they move past a wave of drug-related violence."
Frontera newspaper's Spanish-language version of the article (PDF).
Friday, May 10, 2013
Frontera publishes Mother's Day stories about Baja California gubernatorial candidates' moms
Bimbo ranks 18th in global brand footprint
The Mexican bakery company Bimbo ranked 18th in the global brand footprint put out by Kantar Worldpanel. It was the only Mexican company in Kantar Worldpanel's top-50 ranking, Mexican media reported. Oreo cookies were in 17th place; Coca-Cola was first.
Kantar Worldpanel also said the Mexican dairy company Lala and Frito-Lay owned Mexican cookie maker Gamesa were strong regional brands. Lala expanded into the United States in 2008.
Bimbo expanded into Spain in 1964 and into the United States in 1996; it has become the largest bakery company in the United States.
Bimbo's Robert Servitje appeared at the Mexico Moving Forward conference put on by Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at the University of California San Diego in 2011.
Friday, May 9, 2013
2 tons of marijuana found in Tijuana warehouse
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Carnival still considering building cruise-ship terminal at Baja California Sur's Magdalena Bay, where gray whales migrate
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Columnist analyzes reactivation of Pacto por México, and concludes it is good for all
Columnist Jorge Fernández Menéndez on Wednesday praised and analyzed Tuesday's reactivation of the Pacto por México by Mexico's top political parties. The pact is key for passing needed reforms. Fernández said seven federal Social Development Ministry officials who allegedly used the program for partisan purposes in advance of Veracruz's July 7 state election were fired. He said President Enrique Peña Nieto's public statement to Social Development Minister Rosario Robles not to worry about the matter was unfortunate, but also set political limits on the negotiations to restore the pact signed in December by his Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD). Fernández said the PRD had gleefully jumped into the fray after the PAN raised Cain about PRI electoral shenanigans to even scores with Robles, a former top PRD official. Gov. Javier Duarte had to accept the resignation of State Finance Minister Salvador Manzur.
He said the federal electoral crimes agency FEPADE will investigate six suspects, but noted that the agency did not do so before because no formal complaint had been filed.
Fernández concluded that the restoration of the pact is good for all three political parties, but most of all for the PRI, for it will legitimize the electoral gains it is likely to make in most of the 14 states holding elections on July 7.
His column (PDF). Previous mention of PAN stopping participation in Pacto.
Disney drops attempt to trademark "Día de los Muertos"
The Walt Disney Co. has withdrawn its application to trademark the phrase "Día de los Muertos" after a chorus of complaints from the Latino community. Disney's Pixar division has an upcoming movie that was going to be called "Día de los Muertos" but now may be called something else. KPBS Fronteras Desk story: "After Outcry, Disney Withdraws Effort To Trademark ‘Dia De Los Muertos’ "
Arrest made in slayings of sons of Chihuahua journalists; killings attributed to drug debt
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Solstice cruise ship visits Ensenada
The Celebrity Cruises' ship Solstice stopped in Ensenada for the first time; officials said the 1,041-foot, 122,000 ton ship is the biggest to visit the port, El Mexicano reported (PDF).
The $750 million, German-built ship made its first voyage in 2008. Mayor Enrique Pelayo made a visit to the ship, which arrived from Hawaii late Sunday. Its 2,800 passengers were bused to San Diego, the paper said.
State officials have been touting Ensenada's renaissance as a tour destination and saying the increased cruise ship traffic shows how safe Baja California is for tourists. They said the port has had 68 arrivals with a total of 171,476 passengers this year; last year saw 177 arrivals and 429,450 passengers, El Mexicano reported. In 2007, the port received 678,000 passengers. The Solstice is due to return Sept. 23 as part of a Wine & Americas Cup Cruise originating in Seattle, and then go on an 11-day cruise to Hawaii.
The Solstice arrived Tuesday morning in San Diego for its first visit there as part of nine-night West Coast Wine Cruise. KPBS quoted the port's Adam Deaton as saying San Diego's cruise visits had fallen 70% in recent years because of the economic downturn and Mexico's violence. San Diego also had two other cruise ships arrive Tuesday.
Murders in Baja California still above last year's at this point; rapes are down, and alleged serial rapist, a taxi driver, is arrested in Tijuana
Monday, May 6, 2013
Mexican columnist says Obama's speech made it "one of the most interesting visits that a U.S. president has made to our country"
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Sunday's English-language talk shows make no mention of Mexico despite Obama's two-day visit
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Obama's sunny picture of Mexico questioned
Friday, May 3, 2013
Journalist reported missing in Coahuila
Gerardo Padilla Blanquet, a news anchor for En Vivo Radio y TV in Saltillo, is missing, Mexican media reported. His disappearance was first reported Tuesday. He also is head of administration and sales of Grupo Radio Grande de Coahuila. Story, Vanguardia.
Last week, a Saltillo photojournalist was dismembered.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Mexico expert expects Mérida Initiative to be rebranded
A top Mexico expert said Thursday morning that many members of the U.S. Congress are miffed about Mexico moving the federal police force back into the Interior Ministry and that U.S. monies to help Mexico fight organized crime are in a state of flux.
Eric Olson of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center said some feel the United States had really invested in how Mexican agencies to combat organized crime operated and were displeased with the switch. Olson and several other experts spoke in Washington on the day President Barack Obama is visiting Mexico to meet with new Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Olson said he thought a pause in U.S. funding would eventually end, but that the money would flow under a name other than the existing Mérida Initiative. He said he thought there would be a rebranding.
The Mexico Institute's program was entitled, "Report Launch: New Ideas for a New Era: Policy Options for the Next Stage in U.S.-Mexico Relations."
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Mexico, U.S. more intertwined than ever, and we should take advantage of that, analyst says in advance of Obama visit to Mexico
Shannon K. O'Neil, in appearance at Institute of the Americas in San Diego, also promotes her new book, "Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States and the Road Ahead"
Update: On first day of Obama's visit to Mexico, she appears on the 'PBS Newshour'
Metal thieves break off statue of Kumeyaay woman at ankles in Tijuana
<<<Story, additional photos>>>
Tijuana official David Saúl Guakil becomes Economy Ministry's top official in Baja California
Tijuana social development official David Saúl Guakil, who had hoped to get the Institutional Revolutionary Party's nomination for mayor, has been named the federal Economy Ministry's top official in Baja California, Tijuana media reported. He is the latest in a string of officials who have left the administration of Mayor Carlos Bustamante in search of greener pastures; a new mayor will be elected in July. Another who is reportedly leaving is top Bustamante aide Alcide Roberto Beltrones, to be the Mexican Social Security Institute's (IMSS) top official in the state. Beltrones is the brother of top PRI congressional leader Manlio Fabio Beltrones. Síntesis TV story on Beltrones.
Update, May 16: El Mexicano publishes editorial cartoon showing Beltrones with a doctor's bag now that he is at IMSS.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Rosarito slayings at 15 this year, compared with 5 at this point last year; General says military still is manning checkpoints in Tijuana, but is varying them
L.A. Times editorializes against bill that would allow non-citizens to serve on juries; Jay Leno mischaracterizes legislation, but to good laughs