Mexico

June 21, 2019

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1. Mexico’s Senate ratifies USMCA

Mexico’s Senate has ratified the United States – Mexico – Canada Agreement, the trade agreement set to replace NAFTA. The ratification comes after weeks of trade tension over the U.S. Government’s threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods for alleged inaction on the flow of migrants through Mexico and into the U.S.

Currently, the agreement is under review in U.S. Congress and is scheduled to be discussed in the Canadian Parliament next October.

Forbes: Senado ratifica el T-MEC; ahora esperará que EU y Canadá hagan lo mismo

2. Leaders of PRI resign from their party

Former Secretary of Health and former Director of the National Autonomous University of Mexico José Narro Robles resigned from the PRI party, citing the lack of transparency in the process to elect a new party president. Narro Robles was considered as a strong candidate for the role.

Journalist and former Representative Beatriz Pagés also announced her resignation, stating that there’s interference from President López Obrador’s MORENA party in their internal electoral process. Former Governor of Campeche Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas, who recently resigned the governorship, is now the favorite to assume the presidency of the PRI.

Excélsior: Narro se va del PRI; denuncia simulación 

3. President López Obrador suggests date for recall referendum, opposition asks for detailed review  

President López Obrador proposed March 21, 2021 as the date to hold a recall referendum, while the election reform bill is on hold until July 1st. A recall referendum was one of López Obrador’s primary commitments when he took office.

Opposition parties including the PRD, PRI, PAN and MC called for an in-depth review of this bill as they claim the initiative must come from the Mexican people and shouldn’t overlap with federal elections. These parties believe that the president would change the focus of federal elections to himself and boost the probability that MORENA candidates win.

El Economista: Oposición pide discusión abierta y amplia sobre la revocación del mandato presidencial

4. Mexican Supreme Court rules former President Enrique Peña Nieto can be investigated for alleged crimes against the State of Chihuahua

The Mexican Supreme Court modified a suspension that protected former President Enrique Peña Nieto and his staff from an investigation initiated by Chihuahua’s Attorney General’s Office for alleged crimes against the state. Peña Nieto is immune from investigation of alleged federal crimes.

Chihuahua Governor Javier Corral stated that any person involved in the embezzlement of public funds, allegedly used for electoral campaigns, will come under investigation, including Peña Nieto.

Expansión: Tras fallo de la Corte, el gobierno de Chihuahua apunta a Peña

5. Central America development plan kicks off as President of El Salvador visits Mexico

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard announced the beginning of a plan to develop Central America during newly-elected Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s state visit to Mexico. The first stage will involve an investment of USD $50 million to plant trees for timber in El Salvador.

The development plan is backed by the U.S. Government and 14 United Nations agencies. The whole plan aims to invest in infrastructure and energy projects to help reduce poverty and halt migration.

El Financiero: Inicia Plan de Desarrollo Integral: México invertirá 50 mdd para programa ‘Sembrando vida’ en El Salvador