REPOST: The dead have their day in Mexico

The Day of the Dead is an important and culturally iconic holiday in Mexico, and has become known throughout the world. Tonya Hurley of the Huffington Post shares her experiences in the country during the holiday while traveling off the beaten track.

As the lights from Janitzio came into view through the night sky the anticipation was palpable. The boat anchored among lily pads and murky water.

Boy at grave. Image source: HuffingtonPost.com

We hopped off the boat and onto the dock and made our way through the crowd. We walked uphill for about a half hour, passing makeshift shops, local women cooking food on open fires, and little beggars giggling in the darkness, running through the narrow cobblestone streets, dressed up like catrinas, vampires and zombies, holding out their hollowed water melons carved as jack-o-lanterns asking for money. But not for Halloween. Halloween was over. Day Of the Dead had begun.

I'd been to Mexico before to promote my books but mostly in the bigger cities -- Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City. This time was different. After a long week of interviews and signings, my publisher Alfaguara rewarded me with a road trip to Pátzcuaro, a town in the state of Michoacán, founded sometime in the 1320s. Or, as I like to call it, the ground zero of Dia De Muertos, a traditional holiday observed each November 1 (All Saints Day) and November 2 (All Souls Day). After writing about Day of the Dead in my latest ghostgirl novel, what a thrill it was to see it firsthand, to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of it all.

Our day began with a breakfast of coffee and pan de muerto -- the delicious, traditional bread with bones made of dough on top. Then we headed into town for a long hike. My editor Atu suggested we see the lake that we'd be crossing that night along with the three islands that were infamous for their graveyards and Dia de Muertos celebrations. The biggest island, Janitzio, was the one we were set to visit. It was a breathtaking a view from the mountaintop, to see the lake and the islands from afar before setting sail to actually experience it. That night, we boarded the boat for an hour-long voyage to the Janitzio.

Band on the grave. Image source: HuffingtonPost.com

At around 10:00 p.m. we walked down towards the water and passed through the gates of the harbor, adorned with bright orange cempasúchil flowers thought to attract the spirits from the other side. Posthumous family portraits, many over a hundred years old, lined the walkway. Infants and their mothers who died in childbirth were propped up on wood pegs as if they were alive. Young women, babies, and children were dressed up in gorgeous gowns, imitating life, put on display for memories' sake. November 1st is the day devoted to the remembrance of children that have passed, and the images of deceased young ones was stunning and moving in a way I wasn't completely prepared for as we made our way to the cemetery.

Once inside we saw families gathered around their dearly departed in the soft glow of candlelight. Altars were erected to honor those who'd gone before, graves decorated with sugar skulls, pan de muerto in hand-woven baskets covered in cloth napkins, and tall white candles in terracotta holders painted black -- wax dripping down like a pieces of art. Amber incense burned alongside gorgeous orange and hot pink flowers as relatives sat expectantly in hopes that their loved ones would return -- enticing them with their favorite meals, and with vices, cigarettes and liquor and personal effects. Some were grieving alone or together, praying and sitting quietly, while others laughed and drank, sharing stories of the deceased.

Old women wrapped in handmade shawls, the stories of their hard-working lives in the sun written across their faces, were mixed with young husbands who had lost their wives, parents mourning children and children mourning parents. They were all waiting for their deceased to return.

Janitzio. Image source: HuffingtonPost.com

The sights and sounds of Dia de Muertos were something I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams. The whole city, celebrating and mourning those who'd gone before them and coaxing their return. Each display was a showing of family pride and not one grave was left untouched. It was all so loving, celebratory and elaborate. It reminded me that we are all part of something, part of each other.

Those few days taught me a lot about how much a part of life death truly is. It gave me a new tradition, which I will now celebrate in my own home with a decorative altar every year adorned with pictures of my grandparents and friends gone too soon. Most of all, being there taught me that you are never really gone as long as you are remembered.

Get updates on the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, from the presidential website.

REPOST: From Pemex To Retail, Mexico looking better

Despite contrary opinions, Mexico remains attractive to foreign investment. Forbes.com’s Kenneth Rapoza peers behind the curtain of Mexico’s economy to reveal a country that, despite its ups and downs, is poised to become a big player in the world stage.

Despite its lackluster performer this year, Mexico is still a favorite investment for Latin America-bound emerging market fund managers. And on Monday, investors were given another reason to like this country.

Retail sales rose 1.3% year over year in July. The headline retail sales index posted a stronger expansion than consensus, which was 0.5%. In seasonally adjusted terms, Mexican retail sales rose 0.6% month over month, also above than consensus.

The surprise of Mexico’s retail performance is due to general goods same-store sales (SSS) declined 4.7% in m/m sa in July, while consumption imports also contracted 1.7% m/m sa in that month.

Five out of eight sectors posted monthly gains within retail and within that universe, automotive did best.  Car sales were up 2.7% on the month. Healthcare, supermarket and department store sales increases made up for declines in food and clothing drops.

Image Source: www.hexell.livejournal.com

Besides today’s retail sales data, investors are getting more upbeat about Mexico’s leader, Enrique Peña Nieto.

Mexico is introducing some new reforms to increase competitiveness. One the market is most excited about is in the the energy sector.  Right now, government oil giant Pemex rules the land and sea when it comes to oil and gas. Nieto wants to invite others to give Pemex a hand. So far, he has had a couple of successes in the government, which suggest entrenched interests inside Pemex may be coming around, albeit slowly, to his line of thinking.

Image Source: www.cnsnews.com

Key figures are taking his side. Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya Austin said in August that if the government fails to reform its energy policy, Mexico could become an oil importer as soon as 2015.

For now, the Constitution of Mexico reserves the natural resources for the people of Mexico, so it prevents foreigners from coming in and developing oil reserves.  That work all falls on Pemex.  The investment in oil and gas equipment and exploration all end up being a big burden on Mexico’s fiscal accounts.  Plus most of the profits of Pemex go to the government and that leaves them less money to re-invest in oil production.

Peña Nieto would like to take more of a Brazil approach to its oil reserves than a Venezuelan one. Even though Petrobras is the kingpin of Brazilian oil, multinationals are allowed bigger stakes in Brazil’s oil wealth.

Image Source: www.mnn.com

“Mexico needs to broaden out their tax base,” said Marc Tommasi, managing director and head of international investment strategy at Manning & Napier in Rochester, NY. “Mexico is still a big oil derivative play. And that story has been tougher to sell in recent years because the production profile has been deteriorating so rapidly. It’s getting critical and they need to do something soon,” he said.

Higher car sales means more demand for fuel in Mexico.

Mexico is looking better. Peña Nieto is one reason. A stable U.S. is another. Any upside to the U.S. economy is an added bonus for Mexico investors, Tommasi said.

But investors are still taking a wait-and-see approach to confirm whether Mexican consumers can keep the economy growing. Retail sales have been generally stagnant throughout the year.

August is looking up, said Marco Oviedo, a Mexico analyst at Barclays Capital in Mexico City.

The resumption of government expenditures along with a better manufacturing performance should support employment growth too, helping to keep Mexico in the investor spotlight for the rest of 2013.

More updates on President Enrique Peña Nieto and his projects for Mexico are available on the Mexican Presidential Website.

Commemorating the friendship of two worlds: The Friendship Arch at Delhi

Mexico and India are states a hemisphere apart and share the same statuses as emergent economies in the world stage.  The two have enjoyed a healthy friendship for some time and plan to commemorate this diverse microcosm of cultures through a shared monument that has waited a decade to be formally revealed.

In 2013, the monument, the Friendship Arch at Delhi, has finally been inaugurated.  Erected at the Park of the Five Senses close to India’s historic capital, the structure was described as a people’s project, spearheaded by organizations like the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.  

Image Source: www.bharatdarshan.info

The monument, more than ten years in the making, is a corbelled archway, a replica of the Gateway of Labna in Mexico’s Yucatan State, a monumental sacred gate that served as a ceremonial passage among areas of the city.  The gate is among the many enduring relics of the ancient Maya civilization, one of many pre-colonial civilizations and empires that dominated Mexico and Central America.

Image Source: www.boloji.com

The arch’s inauguration took place on September 16^th, Mexico’s Independence Day.

Image Source: www.mensxp.com

This monument, more than ten years in the making, stands as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the two nations.

Get more updates on Enrique Pena Nieto, President of Mexico, from the Mexican Presidential website.

REPOST: Mexico: Surprising Land Of Opportunity

Mexico has a stable and growing manufacturing base that is being augmented by investments from developed countries like its northerly neighbor the United States. Shelley K. Schwartz of CNBC suggests that manufacturing is Mexico’s biggest trump card.

A worker solders components at the Suntron de Mexico assembly plant in Tijuana, Mexico.
Image source: cnbc.com

When General Motors, the largest automaker in the U.S., announced last year it would invest some $540 million to expand its plant in Toluca, Mexico, it joined a growing list of manufacturers seeking more bang for their production buck south of the border.

With lower shipping costs and increasingly competitive wages, Mexico is enjoying a manufacturing boom, attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment from firms that are building factories to supply the North American market — a concept known as nearshoring.

Most recently, automakers Nissan, Audi, Honda and Mazda have all announced plans to open plants in Mexico over the next few years.

Italian tire maker Pirelli & C. said earlier this year it would invest $300 million in new factories in Mexico by 2015, and Swedish appliance maker Electrolux moved a plant last year from Webster City, Iowa to Juarez, Mexico.

Blue-chip aluminum producer Alcoa also expanded its facility in Acuna, Mexico, joining U.S. companies already producing there, such as General Electric, Honeywell, and Hawker Beechcraft.

The influx shows no signs of abating.

Foreign direct investment, or FDI, in Mexico reached $19.4 billion in 2011 — with nearly half of that total destined for the manufacturing sector, according to the Mexican Ministry of the Economy.

Image source: cnbc.com

Mexico's Allure

For manufacturers, much of the appeal is lower labor costs, says Gordon Hanson, director of the Center on Emerging and Pacific Economies and economics professor at the University of California, San Diego.

“Until very recently, China had been cheaper, more flexible and more accommodating to industry, but wages in China are rising at a remarkable clip, putting cost pressure on manufacturers,” he said. “Mexico didn’t start to win the battle against China until we started the recovery from the recent recession.”

Indeed, the average salary for Mexican workers was $2.10 per hour in 2011, up 19 percent from $1.72 in 2001, according to HSBC.

By comparison, the average wage in China swelled nearly four-fold during those years to $1.63 per hour in 2011 from 35 cents per hour in 2001. Thus, the difference between labor costs in Mexico and China is now just pennies per hour.

There’s also, of course, the cost advantage of proximity, notes Gabriel Lozano, J.P. Morgan’s chief economist for Mexico.

With higher fuel prices, he says, manufacturers worldwide are seeking opportunities to manage shipping costs by producing goods close to their market.

Today, it costs roughly $5,000 to ship a container from China to the U.S., compared with $3,000 to truck the same freight in from Mexico, says Lozano.

“We expect that trend to continue and build into 2013 and 2014,” he said.

The next manufacturing superpower?

Add to that benign inflation, modest salary growth, a compatible business culture, and faster speed to market, and some suggest Mexico is well on its way to becoming the next manufacturing superpower.

A worker solders components at the Suntron de Mexico assembly plant in Tijuana, Mexico.
Image source: cnbc.com

Despite widely publicized security risks stemming from the drug wars, the survey revealed another 43 percent of companies considering offshoring their existing U.S. operations also indicate Mexico is their top choice, with China at 30 percent in second place.

“With manufacturing exports growing at current rates, we expect Mexico to displace China as the top U.S. trading partner by 2018, as China’s labor cost advantage shrinks,” Martin said in the HSBC report.

Auto and Aerospace

Thus far, the automotive sector has generated the largest share of foreign investment in Mexico among manufacturers, representing 28 percent of total manufacturing exports, or 7 percent of gross domestic product.

“Manufacturing and, in particular, production of automobiles was the key driver of growth, with production of cars soaring in the first half of the year and data for July showing a faster expansion — almost 18 percent, and higher exports explain this growth, in turn, fueled by higher demand from the U.S.,” the HSBC report stated.

Mexico is also the world’s first exporter of refrigerators and the second-largest supplier of electronic products to the U.S. market.

But perhaps the biggest potential for growth lies in the aerospace sector, which has been growing more than 20 percent a year since 2004, according to the Mexican Association of the Aerospace Industry.

More than 260 aerospace companies now operate in Mexico, exporting $4.3 billion in aircraft and parts in 2010. That figure is projected to reach $12 billion by 2020, according to the association.

Major U.S. aerospace companies with operations in Mexico include Honeywell, General Electric, Cessna Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft and Gulfstream Aerospace.

Canadian company Bombardier, maker of high-end business aircraft, French helicopter maker Eurocopter, and Netherlands-based Fokker also produce parts below the Rio Grande.

Investor Strategy

Investors looking to capitalize on Mexico’s manufacturing boom, however, should take heed, says Bill Rocco, senior analyst for mutual fund-tracker Morningstar, who covers emerging markets.

While the emerging markets have benefited greatly from elevated economic growth, individual stock picks within these countries are often more risky due to currency fluctuations, volatility and lower liquidity. (More:Latin America's Export Engine and Stock Juggernaut)

Plus, he notes, fund managers have most likely already spotted any companies that show promise, thus its potential is already priced into the stock.

“It depends upon the sophistication of the investor, but the idea that individual investors will get there ahead of the curve seems extremely unlikely,” said Rocco.

Modest exposure to emerging markets is important for all long-term investors, he notes, given the projections for growth, but many already have adequate indirect exposure through mutual funds that own large cap international firms that derive a significant portion of their revenue from the developing world.

A few emerging market mutual funds that Morningstar favors include T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Stock Fund , Oppenheimer Developing Markets Fund , and American Funds New World Fund , which focused on large cap stocks like Nestle and Samsung that derive a significant portion of their revenue from emerging markets.

Rocco also likes Harding Loevner Emerging Markets Portfolio Advisor Class, which is not yet rated by his company.

Snuffing out organized crime, widely considered Mexico’s primary impediment toward development, had been one of the campaign platforms of President Enrique Peña Nieto in 2012. Visit the Mexican Presidential website for the status on his administration’s promised reforms.

La vida personal del presidente actual de la república mexicana

Crédito de imagen: commons.wikimedia.org

Nació el 20 de julio de 1966, creció en la localidad de Atlacomulco, Peña Nieto creció en la casa de Gilberto Enrique Peña del Mazo, un ingeniero electric de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad y María del Perpetuo Socorro Ofelia Nieto Sánchez, una maestra. El mayor de los hijos de Gilberto y María, tiene tres hermanos, Verónica , Ana Cecilia y Arturo. Cursó estudios de Derecho en la Universidad Panamericana y una maestría en Administración por el Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). Asimismo, el inicio de su licenciatura marca el ingreso a la militancia del Partido Revolucionario Institucional. A la par de sus estudios de licenciatura trabajó en algunas firmas jurídicas como Laffan Muse y Kaye, Corporativo San Luis y en la notaria pública número 96 del Distrito Federal. Tras ello, comenzó a ejercer de manera individual la abogacía.

Crédito de imagen: guardian.co.uk

Contrajo matrimonio con su primera esposa Mónica Pretelini a quien conoció mientras trabajaba como tesorero en la campaña de Emilio Chuayffet Chemor en 1993. Resultado de dicha unión nacerían tres hijos: Paulina, Alejandro y Nicole. Tras trece años de matrimonio el 11 de enero de 2007, cuando era ya gobernador del Estado de México, enviudó debido a que su esposa sufrió a una arritmia cardiaca ocasionada por una crisis epiléptica. En 2008 Peña Nieto anunció públicamente en un programa de televisión su noviazgo con la actriz Angélica Rivera. El 27 de noviembre de 2010 contrajo segundas nupcias con la actriz en la Catedral de Toluca, integrando a su familia a las hijas del primer matrimonio de ella: Sofía, Fernanda y Regina.

commons.wikimedia.org

Si quiere leer más sobre Enrique Peña Nieto, puedes visitar su sitio web si busca más información sobre este polÍtico mexicano.

Un poco más de Monica Pretelini y Enrique Peña Nieto

Crédito de imagen: milenio.com

Enrique Peña Nieto y Mónica Pretelini se conocieron en el restaurante El Mesón del Caballo Bayo, según un artículo escrito sobre el encuentro romántico del presidente actual de México y su esposa difunta, cuando él trabajaba como tesorero del Comité de Financiamiento del C.D.E. del P.R.I. en la Campaña del Lic. Emilio Chuayffet Chemor, y ella era la presidenta de la Asociación de Colonos de Tecamachalco. Se casaron el 12 de febrero de 1994 en la iglesia de Santa Teresita. Resultado de dicha unión nacerían tres hijos: Paulina, Alejandro y Nicole.

Crédito de imagen: fanpix.net

Tras trece años de matrimonio el 11 de enero de 2007, cuando era ya gobernador del Estado de México, enviudó debido a que su esposa sufrió a una arritmia cardiaca ocasionada por una crisis epiléptica. En 2008 Peña Nieto anunció públicamente en un programa de televisión su noviazgo con la actriz Angélica Rivera. El 27 de noviembre de 2010 contrajo segundas nupcias con la actriz en la Catedral de Toluca, integrando a su familia a las hijas del primer matrimonio de ella: Sofía, Fernanda y Regina.

Crédito de imagen: commons.wikimedia.org

Nació el 20 de julio de 1966, creció en la localidad de Atlacomulco, Peña Nieto creció en la casa de Gilberto Enrique Peña del Mazo, un ingeniero electric de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad y María del Perpetuo Socorro Ofelia Nieto Sánchez, una maestra. El mayor de los hijos de Gilberto y María, tiene tres hermanos, Verónica , Ana Cecilia y Arturo. Cursó estudios de Derecho en la Universidad Panamericana y una maestría en Administración por el Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). Asimismo, el inicio de su licenciatura marca el ingreso a la militancia del Partido Revolucionario Institucional. A la par de sus estudios de licenciatura trabajó en algunas firmas jurídicas como Laffan Muse y Kaye, Corporativo San Luis y en la notaria pública número 96 del Distrito Federal. Tras ello, comenzó a ejercer de manera individual la abogacía.

Si quiere leer más sobre Enrique Peña Nieto, puedes visitar su sitio web si busca más información sobre este polÍtico mexicano.

Brazil’s break from looking on

Image source: nationalgeographic.com

The Latin American behemoth once sat back tossing up high-rises to the skies of its key cities and swinging a wrecking ball into any project of global significance, as the no less economically emergent Middle East erupted into the Arab Spring. The Olympics and the World Cup pocketed, and now Brazil’s political spectatorship is turned in. Where it was previously unmoved and occupied as the country shopped European imports of luxury goods and Asian electronics, it now comes to a boil.

For wise pundits, Brazil’s take-off never erased home-grown inequalities. It did, however, establish a new middle class, and people have become more expectant than ever of a providential state that seemed at ease with newfound industrialism. China’s economic emergence is a sobering testament. It’s the kind of progress that leaves the working classes behind, a world of inequality pulsing with both excitable consumerism and the din of unfed labor. Another example in Latin America is Mexico, where President Enrique Pena Nieto could simultaneously promise investors a sound business climate and still remark poverty levels to be strapped.


Image source: qubanaha.com

As working class demonstrations in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo force a reality check on emergent economies, they also challenge the world order that made developed countries ahead of developing ones. The working classes are the motors of these fruitful changes, but they remain disenfranchised by state services, disgruntled by corruption, and trapped by limited purchasing power.

Relatively new governments of emerging economies like that of Mexico are increasingly aware of the role of working classes in driving economic progress. Check out President Enrique Pena Nieto’s programs for addressing inequality through the Mexican Presidency’s official website.


Image source: latimes.com

A Prince of Anahuac - A Histori-traditional Story Antedating the Aztec Empire - The Original Classic Edition

A Prince of Anahuac - A Histori-traditional Story Antedating the Aztec Empire - The Original Classic Edition

Mexico vs Martinica 3-1 Resumen Completo 14 Julio 2013 Copa Oro - YouTube

Mexico vs Martinica 3-1 Resumen Completo 14 Julio 2013 Copa Oro - YouTube

History Book Review: To Die in Mexico: Dispatches from Inside the Drug War (City Lights Open Media) by John Gibler - Video Dailymotion

History Book Review: To Die in Mexico: Dispatches from Inside the Drug War (City Lights Open Media) by John Gibler - Video Dailymotion

World Stocks Build on Fed Gains, Await China GDP - ABC News

World Stocks Build on Fed Gains, Await China GDP - ABC News

REPOST: Diabetes in Mexico: Eating themselves to death

The Economist weighs in on Mexico's weight troubles. Tortillas and fast food are packing blood sugar levels in the Latin American country, and diabetes is becoming an alarming scourge:

Image credit: Daily Herald

MEXICO has long been a country that derives extraordinary pleasure from eating and drinking—and it hasn’t minded the consequences much either. Gordo or gorda, meaning “chubby”, is used by both wives and husbands as a term of endearment. Pudgy kids bear proudly the nickname gordito, as they tuck into snacks after school slathered with beans, cheese, cream and salsa.

Your correspondent, having just arrived to live in Mexico City after more than a decade away, finds the increase in waistlines even more staggering than the increase in traffic. Mexico has become one of the most overweight countries on earth, even more so than the United States; a quarter of its men and a third of its women are obese. Indecorously, the country has even come up with figures on figures: the Mexican Diabetes Federation says that among women between 20 and 49, the average waistline is 91.1cm (35.9 inches), more than 10cm above the “ideal” size. Stores are now full of large- and extra large-sized clothing.

Time was, a prominent girth may have been enviable proof of relative prosperity. Now, it is a serious health risk. At a conference here on April 9th it was estimated that more than 10m Mexicans, or almost a sixth of the adult population, suffer from diabetes, largely because of over-eating and increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Mexico has the sixth most cases of diabetes in the world.

Diabetes is one of the top two causes of death in the country, alongside (and occasionally overlapping with) heart disease. The diabetes federation says that the illness kills 70,000 people a year. However, it gets far less attention than much less deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS, not to mention organised crime (which is responsible for roughly 60,000 deaths in the past six years). “It could get to the point where we are literally eating ourselves to death,” says Jesper Holland of Novo Nordisk, a Danish health-care company that is a big supplier of insulin to Mexico.

The precise causes of the onslaught are hard to pin down. The prevalence of snacking on salty, fatty food and drinking sugar-heavy fizzy drinks appears to be a big part of the problem. Reforma, a national newspaper, reported on April 9th that fizzy drinks accounted for seven out of ten drinks sold in Mexico. There was a rise of more than 2% last year, despite growing pressure in Congress to slam “sin taxes” upon the drinks. On a per-head basis Mexicans drink more Coca-Cola than any other country.

Lack of exercise—all that traffic means many Mexicans commute for at least two hours a day—is another factor. Though the swanky parts of Mexico City now boast bicycle lanes, parks with exercise machines and graceful boulevards to run along, on the outskirts, where the health problem is gravest, there are few such amenities.

Mr Holland asserts that “economic growth” is a big cause of the illness, especially in developing countries where societies have grown more prosperous in the space of 20 years, compared with hundreds of years in some developed countries. That could be partly true: India and China also have acute diabetes problems. Mexico, however, has not grown faster than other countries in Latin America, and the poor left behind by economic growth are just as likely to snack badly as the more prosperous. What’s more, Mexican-Americans in the United States are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes, which suggests there are powerful genetic factors at work, too.

Perhaps for Mexicans the biggest problem is living next door to the United States, which means the fast food and super-sized culture has a particularly strong influence. So do the American food and drink giants who sell vast quantities south of the border and have already proved adept at fending off sin taxes and other forms of anti-obesity regulation in the United States.

In a country like Mexico where there is not much stigma attached to being overweight, there would probably be stiff opposition to regulating consumers’ behaviour, especially as measures such as higher taxes on soft drinks would fall disproportionately on the poor. Instead, the government should play up gluttony as a killer, as it does with cigarettes—especially in school, where a third of children are said to be obese—and literally scare people off their junk food. Diabetes provides that opportunity. Given Mexico’s extensive public health-care system, the state foots the bill for the sharply rising cost of diabetes treatment. There is huge public interest in giving it more prominence.

Now that Mexico's health issues have come to light, President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration could propose new recipes for a more fit population. See this Twitter page to know more about the platforms of the Mexican government. 

REPUBLICACIÓN: El gobierno mexicano prevé tener el registro de desaparecidos en dos meses

Este artículo es una noticia en CNN México.

(CNNMéxico) — A más tardar en dos meses habrá una base de datos detallada de los desaparecidos en México, dijo el secretario de Gobernación, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, en un encuentro con periodistas internacionales este viernes. 

Crédito de imagen: CNN México

El nuevo registro estará basado en la cifra de 26,121 personas "no localizadas" que difundió el gobierno en febrero pasado. Sin embargo, el número será mucho menor porque habrá una depuración de los casos que no necesariamente están relacionados con delincuencia organizada, explicó Osorio Chong, de acuerdo con un reporte de la agencia EFE.

Los gobiernos estatales participan en el proceso. En uno de los casos, citó Chong sin especificar la entidad, había 900 personas incluidas en el registro, pero tras la revisión lograron ubicar a 700 de ellas.

En  la base anterior están incluidos ciudadanos que han emigrado a Estados Unidos sin anunciarlo a sus familiares, que se han fugado de su hogar y víctimas de la violencia del crimen organizado.

Osorio Chong dijo que la lista servirá para superar obstáculos en materia de derechos humanos a los que se enfrenta el nuevo gobierno.

El secretario lamentó la poca información oficial que existe sobre los desaparecidos, pues hay casos en que las víctimas fueron enterradas en fosas comunes sin haber obtenido fotografías o muestras de ADN, según el reporte de EFE.

La idea de las autoridades es ir caso por caso y documentar cada desaparición a partir de la información oficial y datos aportados por los familiares.

La cifra de 26,121 personas desaparecidas corresponde al periodo de gobierno anterior (2006-2012), en el cual se implementó una Estrategia Nacional de Seguridad de combate frontal al crimen organizado.

Tras la difusión del dato, organizaciones como Amnistía Internacional pidieron a la administración de Enrique Peña Nieto revisar los casos.

Para saber más de Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto, siga esta página de Facebook.

REPUBLICACIÓN: El Papa declara santa a la 'madre Lupita', la monja de los enfermos

Esta noticia de CNN México habla de la nueva santa de la iglesia católica.

(Notimex) — El papa Francisco declaró este domingo como santa de la iglesia católica a la religiosa mexicana María Guadalupe García Zavala, conocida como madre Lupita, durante una ceremonia ante miles de personas en la Plaza de San Pedro.

Crédito de imagen: CNN México

"Después de haber largamente reflexionado, invocado muchas veces la ayuda divina y escuchado el parecer de muchos hermanos del episcopado, declaramos y definimos santa a la beata María Guadalupe García Zavala", declaró el pontífice.

En la misma ceremonia fueron canonizados también Antonio Primaldo y unos 800 compañeros mártires del pueblo de Otranto, en Italia; y Laura Montoya y Upegui, fundadora de la Congregación de las Hermanas Misioneras de la Beata Virgen María Inmaculada y de Santa Caterina de Siena, la primera santa colombiana.

"Y los inscribimos en el Elenco de los Santos y establecemos que en toda la Iglesia ellos sean devotamente honrados como santos", agregó.

La madre Lupita nació en 1878, es cofundadora de la Congregación de las Siervas de Santa Margarita y de los Pobres, una obra religiosa que actualmente cuenta con unas 170 monjas que trabajan en varias localidades de México y de otros países del mundo.

El rito para la elevación a los altares comenzó con el canto de la letanía de los santos, después el cardenal Angelo Amato, prefecto de la Congregación para las Causas de los Santos, pronunció en latín la petición oficial para el reconocimiento de los nuevos santos.

Luego del canto del Veni, creator spiritus (ven, espíritu creador), el papa procedió formalmente a la proclamación de los nuevos santos, seguido por el canto del Te Deum (himno de gozo) y la ofrenda al papa de las reliquias de cada uno de los tres.

La reliquia de la madre Lupita corresponde a unos trozos de sus costillas custodiados en un relicario de plata en forma de cruz, que muestra los signos propios de la espiritualidad de la santa, entre otros el sagrado corazón y la Virgen Inmaculada.

Siga el presidente Enrique Peña Nieto por este enlace.

Republicación: La inseguridad no es un problema exclusivo de México, dice Peña Nieto

La violencia no es exclusiva de México, dice Peña en entrevista con CNN que provocar el crecimiento económico permitirá reducir la violencia en el país.

El problema de inseguridad no es propio de México, sino de la región de América Latina y “del mundo entero”, dijo a CNN el presidente Enrique Peña Nieto durante su reciente visita a Hong Kong.

Peña Nieto dijo que el gobierno debe focalizar su esfuerzo en reducir la violencia a través de “cambios estructurales” en el país para impulsar el crecimiento económico y no caer “en el círculo perverso (…) de que la inseguridad está frenando la inversión productiva y el flujo de turistas al país”.

Además de combatir al crimen, el presidente dijo que es necesario ofrecer educación de calidad, mejorar el acceso a servicios de salud, combatir la pobreza y generar oportunidades de empleo.

“Es un enfoque integral lo que hoy está demandando nuestro país. Para realmente combatir inseguridad, pobreza, desigualdad, México tiene que estar en la ruta de un crecimiento económico mayor y sostenido y para eso se están haciendo cambios estructurales”, dijo.

El 1 de diciembre pasado, tras tomar protesta como presidente de México, presentó su política de seguridad y destacó que esta tendría un enfoque regional para atender a cada estado según las características de la entidad y el grupo delictivo que opere en la zona.

El gobierno federal también incluyó en la estrategia un plan de prevención del delito que se aplicará a partir de mayo en las zonas más violentas del país.

Según la Secretaría de Gobernación actual, durante la administración del expresidente Felipe Calderón hubo 70,000 homicidios vinculados a la estrategia de seguridad. La dependencia detalló que en los primeros tres meses del nuevo gobierno se registraron 3,157 muertes vinculadas al crimen organizado.

Sobre el estado de la prensa en el país, un reporte de la organización Artículo 19 publicado este lunes señala que las agresiones a periodistas en México aumentaron 20% en el primer trimestre de 2013 en comparación con el mismo periodo del año anterior.

Al respecto, Peña Nieto insistió en la necesidad de “cambios estructurales” para atender temas que “están en el rezago”.

El informe trimestral destaca que durante el gobierno de Peña Nieto han ocurrido 50 agresiones, entre las que destaca el asesinato de un periodista y la desaparición de otro más.

"Para realmente combatir inseguridad, pobreza, desigualdad, México tiene que estar en la ruta de un crecimiento económico mayor y sostenido y para eso se están haciendo cambios estructurales. Si logramos hacer estos cambios estructurales estaremos atendiendo temas que están en el rezago como es el de inseguridad", dijo Peña Nieto.

Una de sus primeras actividades como presidente fue la firma del Pacto por México, en el que participan además del gobierno federal el partido del mandatario, el Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), y los de oposición, Acción Nacional (PAN) y de la Revolución Democrática (PRD).

En cuatro meses, en el contexto del Pacto se aprobó la reforma educativa, la reforma laboral y se discute actualmente la reforma de telecomunicaciones que, según el gobierno federal, permitirá mayor competencia, mejorar la calidad del servicio y la reducción de precios.

Peña Nieto inició el pasado 4 de abril una gira por Asia para estrechar relaciones con la región y proyectar a México como un país con crecimiento.

A lo largo de estos días, el presidente se reunió con el jefe del Ejecutivo de Hong Kong, CY Leung, el presidente de China, Xi Jinping y también con el primer ministro de Japón, Sinzo Abe. Peña Nieto regresó este miércoles a México.

Abe dijo el lunes a Peña Nieto que “la seguridad de los ciudadanos y las empresas constituye la base para la atracción de inversión continua”, por lo que pidió “mejorar aun más el ambiente de negocios de las empresas japonesas”.

Fuente de imagen: CNN México

Integración productiva con EU

Sobre la próxima visita del presidente estadounidense, Barack Obama a México, el mandatario dijo a CNN que esta será una posibilidad para que la relación se diversifique.

“Es una gran oportunidad para transitar de lo que puede ser un tema casi único en los últimos años como es la inseguridad y la cooperación para la seguridad en la frontera (…) a escalar el nivel de relación económica que tenemos con Estados Unidos, llevarla de una de libre comercio a una de integración productiva”, dijo.

La integración en Norteamérica permitirá que esta sea una región más competitiva frente al mundo, dijo Peña Nieto.

Presidencia y la Casa Blanca informaron que durante su visita de Estado a México, durante la primera semana de mayo, Obama tratará temas como la infraestructura fronteriza, el comercio, la migración y la seguridad ciudadana.

En noviembre de 2012, cuando aún era presidente electo, el priista visitó Washington para reunirse con Obama, ocasión en la que planteó su intención de “cambiar el rumbo” de la relación entre los dos países, para no enfocarse en temas de seguridad, sino en generar empleos en ambos lados de la frontera.

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