1. Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion nationwide

In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN) voted unanimously to invalidate Article 196 of the Penal Code of Coahuila, which imposed imprisonment on women who voluntarily performed an abortion. The ruling implies that local and federal judges must abide by it, preventing women who have abortions from going to jail. The decision is retroactive: those who have had abortions and those who have helped them to do so may be released from jail.

Some groups protested against the court’s decision, arguing that the first human right, life, was ignored. They added that, according to data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System, 95% of those imprisoned for the crime of abortion are men who forced their partners to have an abortion or provoked it with extreme violence. In this regard, the SCJN stated that the ruling does not imply that those who force women to have abortions without respecting their right to decide will be released.

El País: México despenaliza el aborto: ¿qué pasará ahora en los Estados del país?
El Universal: “Déjalo nacer”; proyectan feto en la Suprema Corte tras despenalización del aborto.

2. Mexico to spend more on social programs in 2022

Finance Secretary Rogelio Ramírez de la O delivered the 2022 Economic Package to the Chamber of Deputies. It foresees an economic growth of 4.1%, inflation of 3.4%, and a 1.8% depreciation of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar. The largest increase proposed by the treasury regards a support program for senior citizens, with an increase of 76%. It also proposes to increase the budget of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) by 16.8% and that of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) by 7.7% compared to 2021.

In this regard, the Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin) indicated that it trusts that the economic package will reactivate production and use the generation of employment as its guiding axis, since without this there will be “no well-being for Mexicans.” He added that businessmen believe that it is time to support micro, small, and medium-sized companies, as they generate 95% of Mexico’s employment.

La Jornada: Industriales confían en que reactivación sea eje del Paquete Económico.
El País: México producirá menos petróleo y gastará más en programas sociales en 2022.

3. U.S. PI declares that Mexico does not respect USMCA’s agreement during Economic Dialogue

Mexico and the U.S. retook high-level economic dialogues, which the two countries have not held since 2016. It seeks to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. The Mexican delegation was received in Washington by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Foreign Trade Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Foreign Trade. On the Mexican side, Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier attended. Both parties agreed that, through the promotion of bilateral priority actions, the dialogues can become the platform for post-pandemic economic recovery.

On its end, the Alliance for Trade Enforcement (AFTE) sent a letter to Vice President Harris stating that the administration of the Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is ignoring many of the commitments made in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). They added that the laws that have been adopted to fulfill those commitments remain “in limbo.”

Excélsior: Un éxito, Diálogo Económico de Alto Nivel entre México y EU: Ebrard.
El Economista: AMLO ignora muchos compromisos de México en el T-MEC: IP de EU.

4. Government will limit operations at the current airport for airlines to use the one in Santa Lucia

Transportation Undersecretary Carlos Morán Moguel said that between 2022 and 2023 operations at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) are expected to be limited to avoid saturation and that airlines will consider using the New Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in Santa Lucía. He added that, if airlines do not fly to it by their own initiative, the AICM will be limited to 61 operations per hour, the maximum ceiling of flights that should be allowed, but which has been exceeded since 2013.

Some international airlines, such as Air Canada, have ruled out operating at the AIFA, since it is not finished, feasibility studies and capacity studies of the AICM are needed. So far, no foreign airline has publicly expressed its intention to fly from the airport.

Forbes: SCT limitará operaciones en AICM; busca que aerolíneas opten por Santa Lucía.
Animal Político: “Faltan estudios de viabilidad”: Air Canada descarta usar el aeropuerto de Santa Lucía.

5. Supreme Court declares Social Communications Law unconstitutional

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) declared unconstitutional the General Law of Social Communications of 2018, known as “Chayote Law” since this is how bribes to media outlets are known, considering that it continues to grant the national government an “enormous discretion” to exercise its spending in broadcasting. The law was approved during the last year of Peña Nieto’s administration and was intended to regulate the government propaganda model and guarantee that the expenditure destined to this matter would be efficient and transparent.

The decision was made after granting an injunction on review to the organization Article 19, which argued that the law violates freedom of expression as it does not contain clear and objective criteria on the exercise of public spending on social communication. This law was controversial because the Congress spent years without approving a regulation on social communication and advertising of the federal government.

Animal Político: “Ley Chayote” es inconstitucional y atenta contra la libertad de expresión, declara la Corte.