Economic ministers from Mexico and India agreed today on a plan to bolster bilateral trade relations. Indo-Mexican trade has increased by 600 percent in the last 6 years, totaling about $530 million through March in this fiscal year alone. The countries announced in New Delhi today that they would set up a group of senior government […]
Three notable Mexican film directors have signed a $100 million deal with Universal Pictures in Los Angeles to produce five movies, including Spanish-language films. Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron, and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who individually directed last year's Oscar-recognized Hollywood hits “Pans Labyrinth,” “Babel,” and “Children of Men,” will call their new production company Cha Cha Cha. […]
The U.S. Senate this week will debate an immigration bill supported by President Bush that would provide legal status to approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the U.S. Allowing 600,000 workers into the country without their families, the measure's guest worker provision would grant them 2-year periods of stay for a maximum of 6 years. For further […]
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 411-3 this week to delay a Bush Administration plan to provide Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways. Proponents of allowing full access say it will save American consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. Opponents are concerned that the Mexican trucks will not meet U.S. safety standards. The House […]
At a conference convened by the International AIDS Society and sponsored by the United Nations, 25 leaders and HIV-positive women activists from across Latin America gathered to strategize for the 17th International AIDS Conference to be held in Mexico next year. Participants emphasized the need to address the social stigma and cultural conditions affiliated with the […]
National Public Radio (NPR) reporter Lourdes Garcia-Navarro filed a report examining how Mexico City is leading the way in Latin American liberalism. Reflected by the Mexico City Assembly passing progressive measures on civil unions and abortion, local attitudes are not as they once were. With its trendy art scene, the city recently hosted controversial photographer Spencer Tunick's […]
Larry Birns and Alex Sanchez of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs analyze the power of Mexican drug traffickers in their report, “The Government and Drug Lords: Who Rules Mexico?” Arguing that the only viable solution to combating drug trafficking is further deployment of the Mexican army to relevant regions as well as the subsequent extradition […]
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa visited Mexico this past week, calling on U.S. leaders to reform immigration laws and provide a permanent pathway to citizenship. The Mayor, who emphasized business ties along with his immigration message, met with President Felipe Calderon and addressed the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. Villaraigosa, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, […]
From Los Angeles to New York, and in several cities in between, immigrants and activists marched on May 1st in support of immigration reform, and specifically, a reformed path to legalization for those in the country illegally. When covering immigration, and illegal immigration in particular, members of the U.S. media tend to focus on Mexico. And, indeed, […]
President Felipe Calderon participated in Earth Day ceremonies on an ecological reserve, calling for greater environmental education in the country's schools. Arguing that educational programs will improve the environment and combat global warming, Calderon also signed a decree aimed at protecting the endangered “El Hundido” aquifer in Coahuila state. Calderon has developed an environmental initiative […]
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled to Toluca, Mexico this week to learn about the Oportunidades anti-poverty program. Serving approximately 25 million people, Opportunidades is Mexico's conditional cash transfer program and principal anti-poverty initiative. The program awards cash grants to economically disadvantaged families for keeping their children in school and providing them with healthcare. […]
Contributed by Rich Basas of FPA's Migration Blog: W-FIVE, A well known Canadian Investigative journalism program recently aired a report concerning the deaths of Dominic and Nancy Iannero, a Canadian couple who were murdered in their resort hotel room last year. The couple was in Mexico to celebrate the wedding of their son, but had their […]
Mexico City's Legislative Assembly voted 46-19 to legalize abortion, and the city's progressive mayor is expected to approve it. President Felipe Calderon's conservative party and the Catholic Church have spoken out against the city's actions. Martha Micher, director of the Mexico City government's Women's Institute, estimates that 200,000 women have illegal abortions in Mexico each […]
Contributed by Rich Basas of FPA's Migration Blog: Rapid double digit economic growth in China and its newly minted membership in the WTO has greatly changed the world economy and China's position as an economic and political power. This view, while prominent within China is more importantly the dominant view among its neighbors abroad. Much of the […]
Mexican soldiers have detained over 100 police officers in Nuevo Leon, a state bordering Texas. They are being held and investigated on suspicion of aiding drug traffickers in what appears to be the latest effort of President Calderon's administration to dispatch the military in fighting drug cartels. For further information, see: Soldiers arrest Mexican police […]