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☆ Mexico's Samuel Garcia pulls out of 2024 presidential race
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Governor of Nuevo Leon state Samuel Garcia poses for a picture with students as he arrives at an event of school equipment delivery at the Prepa Tec high school, in Monterrey, Mexico April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Samuel Garcia, one of the two main opposition hopefuls competing in Mexico's 2024 presidential election, has withdrawn from the contest to return to his post as governor of the northern state of Nuevo Leon, his party said on Saturday. "I have decided to not participate in the electoral race for President of the Republic," the 35-year-old Garcia said in a statement from the Nuevo Leon government made public by his center-left Citizens' Movement (MC) party. Garcia then became embroiled in a dispute about who would replace him in Nuevo Leon, where his political opponents control the state legislature, which votes in the interim governor. Recent opinion polls have given Garcia around 10% support in the presidential race, putting him behind Xochitl Galvez, candidate of the main opposition alliance.

Persons: Samuel Garcia, Daniel Becerril, Garcia, Luis Enrique Orozco, Garcia's, Orozco, Xochitl Galvez, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, MORENA, Dante Delgado, Dave Graham, Adriana Barrera, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Tec, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Nuevo, ' Movement, Regeneration, Mexico City Mayor, Thomson Locations: Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico, MEXICO, Republic

☆ Three Mexican journalists freed following kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mexico is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists, with five killed this year, the international free-speech group, Article 19, has said. Another journalist freed on Saturday was Marco Toledo, director of the weekly El Espectador de Taxco, authorities said. Toledo's wife and son had also been kidnapped by five armed men who entered their home last Sunday, Article 19 said. Although Toledo's wife has been freed, authorities are still searching for the journalist's son, the attorney-general's office said in its statement. With a tally of 13 murdered, last year was the deadliest for journalists in Mexico since Article 19 began keeping records in 2000.

Persons: general's, Silvia Arce, Alberto Sanchez, Marco Toledo, Taxco, Toledo's, Adriana Barrera, Valentine Hilaire, Daniel Wallis, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: MEXICO CITY, El, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Guerrero, Mexico, Taxco

☆ Mexico's real estate trust Fibra Next eyes $865 mln IPO to cash in on nearshoring
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fibra Next, spun off by parent trust Fibra Uno (FUNO11.MX), plans to issue some 277.8 million Real Estate Trust Stock Certificates (CBFIs) in the offering, scheduled for November 28, according to the document dated Tuesday. Fibra Nearshoring Experts and Technology, as Fibra Next is officially known, had reportedly initially been targeting a valuation of $1.5 billion according to media reports last month, pricing it as the largest local IPO since 2018. The funds raised will be used for the acquisition and development of properties, Fibra Next stated in a separate presentation to investors. Fibra Next is tapping in on the real estate buzz from nearshoring - the trend of locating manufacturing capacity in Mexico, closer to the U.S. market, rather than in Asia - to boost profits and economic growth. Another real estate trust, Vesta (VESTA.MX), debuted on New York Stock Exchange earlier this year with a $400 million initial public offering.

Persons: Fibra Uno, Fibra, Noe Torres, Adriana Barrera, Isabel Woodford, Michael Perry Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Technology, Fibro Uno, New York Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexican, Mexico, U.S, Asia

[1/2] The logo of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is pictured at the company's headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Raquel Cunha/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Mexican state energy company Pemex and U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company New Fortress Energy (NFE.O) have terminated a deal to develop potentially the country's first deepwater natural gas project that was signed a year ago, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. Last month, Pemex decided to halt the project after NFE wanted to impose conditions Mexican officials considered unacceptable, including NFE buying the natural gas too cheaply from Pemex, one of the sources said. Pemex wanted to develop Lakach with the U.S. company using a service contract, a mechanism used prior to the Mexico's energy sector opening in 2013-14. Reuters previously reported that officials at the CNH and Pemex had been at odds over how to develop Lakach and other large fields.

Persons: Raquel Cunha, Pemex, NFE, Lakach, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Ana Isabel Martinez, Mariana Parraga, Adriana Barrera, Dave Graham, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, New Fortress Energy, U.S, Reuters, U.S . Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Gulf of Mexico, Veracruz, Gulf, Tamaulipas, Altamira, Houston

☆ Musk's Starlink wins bid to roll out Mexico's rural satellite internet -documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SpaceX logo and Elon Musk photo are seen in this illustration taken, December 19, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Starlink, the satellite internet service of billionaire Elon Musk's rocket manufacturer SpaceX, has won a tender from Mexico's state energy firm to provide services through December 2026, according to documents seen by Reuters on Monday. The contract is valued between 887.5 million pesos ($51 million) and 1.8 billion pesos ($101 million), according to the decision from Mexico's Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE). Starlink's bid beat out those of two other companies because it "offered the best conditions in terms of price," the document said. The contract would provide infrastructure for CFE's rollout of internet access throughout rural Mexico, according to a separate document seen by Reuters, a draft contract from CFE.

Persons: Elon, Dado Ruvic, Starlink, Adriana Barrera, Kylie Madry, Matthew Lewis Organizations: SpaceX, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Reuters, Comision, CFE, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico

☆ Mexico's Pemex gets billions more in government support
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is pictured at the company's headquarters in Mexico City, Mexico July 26, 2023. In October, Pemex received 55.9 billion pesos ($3.2 billion) from the government to strengthen its financial position, accounts show. Separately, Pemex received 71.7 billion pesos over the quarter for debt amortizations. Instead of focusing so much on Pemex, Mexico could have made more of private-sector investment, boosting renewable electricity output and reducing fossil fuel reliance, he said. Pemex also reported a third-quarter net loss of 79.13 billion pesos, revenues of 462 billion pesos and a financial debt of $105.8 billion.

Persons: Raquel Cunha, Pemex, Octavio Romero, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Carlos Urzua, Lopez Obrador, Valentine Hilaire, Ana Isabel Martinez, Adriana Barrera, David Alire Garcia, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Anthony Esposito, David Holmes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, Dos Bocas, Pemex

A sign is pictured in front of the Vitol Group trading commodities building in Geneva October 4, 2011. The two Pemex documents are also not public. As part of the settlement, Vitol also dropped a lawsuit against PMI Comercio Internacional, Pemex's international trading arm, for $1.21 million for alleged damages to a refinery in Cressier, Switzerland. Meanwhile, legal proceedings tied to the graft scandal continue in Mexico but also the U.S., where a former employee is on trial, and Ecuador. The graft scandal Vitol acknowledged dates back to Lopez Obrador's predecessors.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Pemex, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Vitol, Lopez, Adriana Barrera, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Ana Isabel Martinez, Stephen Eisenhammer, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Vitol, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Reuters, U.S . Department of Justice, PMI Comercio Internacional, Mexican, Thomson Locations: Geneva, MEXICO, Swiss, Brazil, Ecuador, Vitol, Mexican, U.S, Cressier, Switzerland, Veracruz, Mexico

☆ Mexico researchers show progress on drive to replace U.S. corn imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Adriana Barrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The fields, planted in May, were generating new strands of hybrid seed varieties to be tested in 2024 with release for planting in 2025, they said. Mexico's government wants to ban GM corn for human consumption, including its national staple, tortilla, on concerns about its health impact. It still permits, for now, GM corn as livestock feed and in industrial use in some processed foods and cosmetics. SELF-SUFFICIENCYPresident Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been vocal about the need to reduce Mexico's dependence on U.S. corn imports. Still, Mexican Deputy Agriculture Minister Victor Suarez has said replacing 10% to 15% of corn imports is realistic.

Persons: Kellogg, Claudio Carballo, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Victor Suarez, Romel Olivares, Lopez Obrador, Olivares, Adriana Barrera, Cassandra Garrison, Dave Graham, Leslie Adler Organizations: Autonomous University of Chapingo, U.S, Agriculture, Thomson Locations: TEXCOCO, Mexico, United States, Mexico City, Chapingo, U.S, Canada, Mexican

☆ Mexican ruling party engulfed in presidential nomination dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ebrard's campaign has for weeks said there were problems in the national voter survey to choose a MORENA candidate, and in recent days stepped up warnings. Shortly afterward, Ebrard issued a statement saying police had prevented his representatives from entering where the party was counting the national poll ballots. In another video shared on social media, Ebrard said the situation was becoming "more and more like the PRI", or the Institutional Revolutionary Party. The main opposition alliance last week selected as its presidential candidate Xochitl Galvez, a charismatic and unconventional senator of Indigenous origin who overcame an impoverished background to become a successful entrepreneur. Reporting by Dave Graham and Adriana Barrera editing by Timothy Gardner, Cassandra Garrison and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marcelo Ebrard, MORENA, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, Iztapalapa, Alfonso Durazo, Durazo, Ebrard, we're, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Xochitl Galvez, Lopez Obrador, Dave Graham, Adriana Barrera, Timothy Gardner, Cassandra Garrison, Josie Kao Organizations: Mexico City Mayor, MEXICO CITY, National Regeneration, Institutional Revolutionary Party, PRI, Tuesday, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, MEXICO, MORENA

Cuban tanker Petion is seen at a shipyard in Veracruz, Mexico April 9, 2021. Mexico has emerged as a top provider, sending oil on a vessel owned by state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and ships managed by Cuba. The ship previously ferried Venezuelan crude and fuel oil to Cuba, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. Cuba-flagged tanker Delsa also delivered Mexican crude from Pajaritos to Cienfuegos in June, and then sailed to Venezuela, where it loaded oil, the data showed. HELP NEEDEDRussia supplied Cuba with some 12,000 bpd of oil, mostly crude, between February and July, according to the Eikon data.

Persons: Yahir, Vilma, Pemex, Delsa, Esperanza, Washington, Marianna Parraga, David Sherwood, Adriana Barrera, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, HOUSTON, Cuban, U.S . Treasury Department's, Foreign Assets Control, U.S . State Department, Reuters, San, Thomson Locations: Veracruz, Mexico, Venezuela, Mexico Mexican, Cuba, Russia, Washington, Mexico's, Cienfuegos, Havana, U.S, San Jose

☆ Mexican woman's body found in Berlin canal, autopsy planned
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view shows the skyline of Potsdamer Platz square and the Leipziger Strasse street in Berlin, Germany, November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File photoFRANKFURT, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Police in Berlin said on Sunday that an autopsy would be the next step in clarifying the circumstances of the death of a 24-year-old Mexican woman who disappeared at the end of July and whose body was found on Saturday. The cause of the death will be clarified in the course of an autopsy," a police spokesperson said. The case has drawn attention in Mexico, including President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador saying earlier in the week that he would ask the German president to bolster the search for Sanchez. A few days after the woman's disappearance, Berlin police said in a statement that there were "indications" that the woman was "in an exceptional psychological situation."

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, Maria Fernanda Sanchez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Sanchez, María Fernanda, Vera Eckert, Adriana Barrera, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Police, Interpol, Mexican Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: Potsdamer, Berlin, Germany, FRANKFURT, Adlershof, Mexico, Mexican

☆ Tropical storm Eugene off coast of Mexico could strengthen to hurricane
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Tropical storm Eugene is strengthening in the Mexican Pacific and could become a hurricane in the next few hours as it moves parallel to the coast of the Baja California peninsula, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on Sunday. "Eugene could become a hurricane later today before starting to weaken on Monday," the NHC said in a report, adding that no coastal warnings were in effect. The state water commission in Mexico, Conagua, said the storm will cause very heavy rains in the state of Baja California Sur and waves up to four meters (13 feet) high. Baja California Sur is home to tourist hotspots like Cabo San Lucas, while Nayarit hosts San Blas and San Pancho. In late June, Hurricane Beatriz dumped heavy rains in its path, also off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Persons: Eugene, Hurricane Beatriz, Adriana Barrera, Alexander Villegas, Leslie Adler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, United States National Hurricane Center, NHC, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexican Pacific, Baja California, Miami, Mexico, Conagua, Baja California Sur, Nayarit, Sinaloa, San Lucas, San Blas, San Pancho, Mazatlan

☆ Missing Mexican woman Maria Fernanda Sanchez found dead in Germany
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Police in Germany, reported on Saturday that they found the body of a 24-year-old Mexican woman who disappeared in Berlin at the end of July and whose case has caused garnered widespread attention in Mexico. Authorities said the body of Maria Fernanda Sanchez, for whom Interpol had issued a yellow search notice, was found floating in a canal by a person walking along a bridge in Berlin's Adlershof neighborhood. The Mexican Foreign Ministry communicated on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that German authorities reported the discovery of a deceased woman that fit Sanchez's description. Earlier in the week, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said that he would ask the German president to bolster the search for Sanchez, who, according to local media, was a masters student in Germany. Reporting by Stefanie Eschenbacher and Adriana Barrera; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maria Fernanda Sanchez, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Sanchez, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Adriana Barrera, Alexander Villegas, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Police, Authorities, Interpol, Mexican Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Germany, Berlin, Mexico, Berlin's Adlershof

☆ Pemex gets $3.8 billion from Mexico government, considers tapping bond markets again
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Petroleos Mexicanos FollowMEXICO CITY, July 28 (Reuters) - Mexican state energy company Pemex, whose financial debt ballooned to $110.5 billion by the second quarter, said Friday that it received 64.9 billion pesos ($3.8 billion) from the government to meet its obligations and may tap bond markets this year or next. Chief Financial Officer Carlos Cortez told investors during an earnings call that despite "significant" government support, Pemex was evaluating whether it would tap bond markets this year or next. Natural resources nationalist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has staked his reputation on reviving Pemex, which he inherited highly indebted. Between 2019 and the end of the second quarter, Pemex received more than 720 billion pesos from the government, the results showed. Net profits were down almost 80% to 25.439 billion pesos in the second quarter from the year-ago period as sales fell, and revenues were down more than 40% to 414.156 billion pesos following weaker local sales and crude oil prices.

Persons: Carlos Cortez, Pemex, Cortez, We're, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Lopez Obrador's, Octavio Romero, Romero, Valentine Hilaire, Adriana Barrera, Stefanie Eschenbacher, Anthony Esposito, Richard Chang, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Moody's Investors Service, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Pemex

☆ Mexico announces plan with US to boost firearm tracing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, July 26 (Reuters) - Mexico and the United States have agreed to step up oversight of arms trafficking with a system to electronically track firearms seized from criminal organizations, Mexican Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said on Wednesday. "The United States and Mexico have agreed to the electronic monitoring of all the firearms seized in our country from criminal organizations," Rodriguez told a press conference. Barcena said the plan aimed to keep track of where guns are found in Mexico to help inform seizure strategies. One of Mexico's main proposals to the U.S. was that it revoke licenses of gun stores that sell firearms to cartels, she said. According to U.S. gun-tracing bureau ATF, some 70% of traced firearms used to commit crimes and seized in Mexico come from the U.S.

Persons: Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Alicia Barcena, Barcena, Raul Cortes, Adriana Barrera, Sarah Morland, Alistair Bell Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Mexican, U.S, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, United States, Caribbean, U.S

☆ Mexico working with U.S. on refugee plan for migrants in southern Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, July 26 (Reuters) - Mexico and the United States are working on a plan to process migrants in southern Mexico, encompassing Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, Mexico's incoming foreign minister Alicia Barcena said on Wednesday. She said Mexico was looking to set up an "international space" offering "multiple services" for migrants from the four countries who remained in Mexico after COVID-era curbs at the U.S. southern border ended in May. Asked about Barcena's comments, a Mexican official told Reuters that talks were still ongoing with the U.S. It would allow qualifying migrants approved for refugee status to enter via the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which is only available to applicants abroad, sources told Reuters. Unlike most migrants who claim asylum after entering the U.S., refugees receive immediate work authorization and government benefits such as housing and employment assistance.

Persons: Alicia Barcena, Barcena, López Obrador, Joe Biden's, Daina Beth Solomon, Dave Graham, Adriana Barrera, Alison Williams Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, United States, U.S, Mexican

☆ Guatemala court suspends anti-graft presidential candidate's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 12 (Reuters) - A court in Guatemala suspended the party of anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, a prosecutor at the Attorney General's Office said on Wednesday, throwing into question his place in a second round run-off vote. "In no way will we obey a spurious and illegal decision like the one issued by that court." Shortly after, the electoral court confirmed the first-round results, which put Arevalo into a second round. "It's something that concerns us as a court, because we know that elections are won at the polls," Irma Palencia, head of the electoral court, said when asked about the suspension. This would certainly represent an astounding new low for Guatemala," said Donald J. Planty, a former U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, about the possible suspension.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Attorney General's, Arevalo, Rafael Curruchiche, Sandra Torres, Irma Palencia, Brian A, Nichols, Guatemalans, Juan Jose Arevalo, Carlos Pineda, Will Freeman, Semilla, Critics, Alejandro Giammattei, Donald J, Sofia Menchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire, Adriana Barrera, Cassandra Garrison, Brendan O'Boyle, Stephen Eisenhammer, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Attorney, CNN, Twitter, U.S, Western Hemisphere Affairs, Central American, Council, Foreign Relations, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Nicaragua, U.S

[1/2] A man watches television while cooling himself with an electric ventilator as temperatures rise during an unusual heat wave, in Monterrey, Mexico June 15, 2023. On Wednesday, daily demand was projected to peak even higher at 51,782 megawatts per hour, according to Cenace data. Meanwhile, neighboring Texas urged power conservation after the grid operator on Tuesday evening issued a warning for "projected reserve capacity shortage". In Michoacan state, one town had been without electricity for several days, after an energy transmitter exploded. The heat wave in Mexico is forecast to continue for several more days.

Persons: Daniel Becerril, Cenace, Jorge Musalem, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Isabel Woodford, Adriana Barrera, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, National Center for Energy Control, Twitter, Local, CFE, Thomson Locations: Monterrey, Mexico, MEXICO, Texas, Michoacan

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - Mexico said on Friday it would counter U.S. arguments over agriculture biotech measures, including plans to limit its use of genetically modified (GM) corn, in trade dispute settlement consultations requested by Washington earlier in the day. If the consultations fail to resolve disagreements within 75 days, Washington can request a dispute settlement panel to decide the case. The United States requested formal trade consultations in March over objections to Mexico's plans to limit imports of GM corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. The new decree eliminated a deadline to ban GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, by far the bulk of its $5 billion worth of U.S. corn imports, but maintained a ban on GM corn used in dough or tortillas. Some sector experts have expressed concern that the move could set a precedent among other countries, which would disrupt the global corn trade.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, February's, Tom Haag, Cassandra Garrison, Adriana Barrera, Kylie Madry, Dave Graham, Ismail Shakil, Leslie Adler, William Mallard Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Washington, U.S, Trade Ministry, United, U.S . Trade, U.S ., Corn Growers Association, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Canada, U.S, Washington, United States, Mexican, Mexico City, Ottawa

The FAA downgraded Mexico's aviation safety rating to Category 2 in 2021, citing safety deficiencies and blocking Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights. Since Mexico lost the rating, the FAA has conducted a series of audits on the local civil aviation authority and its compliance with international safety standards. Mexican newspaper El Financiero had earlier reported that Mexico had already recovered the safety rating, citing government sources, but a short time later backtracked on the initial report. In the two years since the FAA dropped Mexico to Category 2, the country has revamped its aviation standards, replacing officials and most recently overhauling its civil aviation law. Asked to comment on Mexico's air safety rating, an FAA spokesperson would only say the agency continues "to provide assistance to Mexico's civil aviation authority."

Persons: El Financiero, Andres Conesa, Kylie Madry, Adriana Barrera, Carolina Pulice, Ana Isabel Martinez, Brendan O'Boyle, David Alire Garcia, Diane Craft Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, El, U.S, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, United States

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. is escalating its conflict with Mexico over agriculture biotech measures, including the stance on genetically modified (GM) corn, by requesting dispute settlement consultations, senior officials of the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Friday. If the consultations announced on Friday fail to resolve disagreements within 75 days, Washington can request a dispute settlement panel to decide the case. The United States requested formal trade consultations in March over objections to Mexico's plans to limit imports of GM corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. Earlier this week, Mexico's agriculture minister expressed confidence in an interview that the dispute with the U.S. would not escalate to a dispute settlement panel. The new decree eliminated the deadline to ban GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, by far the bulk of its $5 billion worth of U.S. corn imports, but maintained a ban on GM corn used in dough or tortillas.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Tom Vilsack, Tom Haag, Cassandra Garrison, Adriana Barrera, Ismail Shakil, Leslie Adler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Trade, U.S, Trade Ministry, United, Economy Ministry, Agriculture, U.S ., Corn Growers Association, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, U.S, Mexico, Canada, Washington, United States, Mexico City, Ottawa

☆ U.S. trade consultations on Mexico's GMO corn rule 'unacceptable violation' of law -Mexican official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Adriana Barrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - Trade consultations requested by the United States on Mexico's plan to limit the use of genetically modified corn are an "unacceptable violation" of Mexican law and feed the interests of seed "oligopolies," a top Mexican official said on Thursday. The United States, Mexico's main trading partner, requested the consultations in early March under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) agreement, which calls for a science-based approach to domestic regulations. "The United States' request to Mexico follows the interests of seed, agrochemical, and other food-producing oligopolies," said Mexican Deputy Agriculture Minister Victor Suarez. Washington requested consultations after Mexico softened an original plan to ban GMO corn across the board and instead opened its use for animal feed and industrial use. The Mexican policy "does not affect U.S. corn producers in any way," Suarez said, contradictory to the U.S.' claims.

[1/5] A Cuban tanker ship enters Havana's bay with a sign that reads in Spanish: "No more blockade", referring to the trade embargo on Cuba imposed by the U.S., Havana, Cuba, April 25, 2023. Venezuela's oil exports to Cuba so far this year have dropped to 55,000 barrels per day (bpd) from almost 80,000 in 2020. Cuba has also imported since November at least five cargoes from Russia, a long-time supplier, as well as fuel from Caribbean terminals and Europe, the data shows. Officials also blame U.S. sanctions, which complicate the financing and transport of fuel to Cuba, for the crisis. Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA and oil ministry, Pemex, and Mexico's foreign ministry did not reply to requests for comment.

☆ Mexico to probe GM corn impact on tortillas amid US trade dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, April 10 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities announced Monday a working group will investigate the impact of genetically modified (GM) corn imports on the country's tortillas, a national staple typically made from cornflour, amid a trade dispute with the United States. The United States has requested trade consultations with Mexico after its government moved to restrict imports of GM corn, arguing it can contaminate Mexico's ancient native varieties and have negative impacts on human health. Mexico produces mainly white corn, used to make tortillas, but has a deficit of yellow corn, used for livestock consumption and industrial applications. The country imports about 17 million tons of corn from the United States each year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the country's annual exports to Mexico amounted to about $5 billion in 2022.

☆ Mexico passes electoral overhaul that critics warn weakens democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Mexican lawmakers on Wednesday approved a controversial overhaul of the body overseeing the country's elections, a move critics warn will weaken democracy ahead of a presidential vote next year. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador argues the reorganization will save $150 million a year and reduce the influence of economic interests in politics. The Senate approved the reform, which still needs to be signed into law by Lopez Obrador, 72 to 50. The INE has played an important role in the shift to multi-party democracy since Mexico left federal one-party rule in 2000. Lopez Obrador has repeatedly attacked the electoral agency, saying voter fraud robbed him of victory in the 2006 presidential election.

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