News Summary for August 8th, 2009

President Felipe Calderón insisted that the government acted on time to confront criminal gangs who were trying to take over society… He said that the battle against organized crime makes no distinctions and attacks all criminal organizations equally.
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Public Security Secretary Genaro García Luna said the battle against organized crime will continue despite backlash and negative campaigns… García Luna said efforts to make police forces more professional are breaking down old paradigms.
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Mexico City´s District Attorney General’s Office said that when the ransom in the Fernando Martí kidnapping was handed over two cells from within the same gang tried to get the money… Authorities are saying that this proves that Noé Robles Hernández, who is accused of murdering Martí, did not know all members of the kidnapper’s gang.
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Judicial authorities in Sonora and state governor Eduardo Bours said they were willing to work with an investigative committee approved by the Supreme Court to investigate the fire at the ABC day care center that killed 49 children.
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PAN, PRD and PRI senators said they were pleased that the Supreme Court appointed an investigative committee to look into the fire at the ABC day care center… Parents called for investigators to show sensitivity and respect above all…
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The sole candidate running for election as PAN president César Nava said the party is facing tough times after the election debacle so, he said, his first move will be to review all errors made by the party and look for solutions.
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The U.S. Senate confirmed Carlos Pascual as Washington’s new ambassador to Mexico.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR AUGUST 7TH, 2009

The Supreme Court agreed to set up a committee to investigate whether grave violations to human rights were committed in the case of the fire at the ABC day care center in Hermosillo in which 49 infants were killed… The court authorized the committee and will also look into the system of privately owned day care centers being part of the IMSS system.
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Deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya spoke with Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Patricia Espinosa, to deny that he had backed Andrés Manuel López Obrador … This according to a press release from the Foreign Affairs Secretariat… Zelaya said his remarks were taken out of context.
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President Felipe Calderón said the country is close to a new economic outlook… He said there are already some signs of recovery with jobs being created over the last two months, and furthermore the Mexican Stock Exchange rebound and the strength of the banking system.
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The Office of the Presidency confirmed that President Felipe Calderón will be meeting privately with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama as well as with Canada’s Primer Minister Stephen Harper, at a North American leaders summit starting this weekend.
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PRD Senator René Arce filed a request with his party to expel Andrés Manuel López Obrador because if his erroneous behavior during the midterm election campaigns, because he supported other party candidates… Arce said that what López Obrador did was the main reason the PRD did so badly in the elections.
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IFE councilor Alfredo Figueroa called for a debate on the new Identity Card, involving not only the government and the IFE, but also the legislative and judiciary branches.
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The National Human Rights Commission challenged a report commissioned and disseminated by the Attorney General’s Office about U.S. independent reporter Brad Will’s death in Oaxaca… The Human Rights Commission said the document is not a forensic report but rather an opinion, lacking judicial weight under Mexican law.

News Summary for August 6th, 2009

++ Deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya proposed that coup d’etats be considered crimes against humanity because they violate the rights of citizens to exercise democracy. Speaking at Mexican Congress, where members of the Permanent Committee received him, Zelaya charged that U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have acted weakly with regard to the coup d’etat in Honduras. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy held back releasing more than 100 million dollars that are part of the Mérida Initiative aid packet, after he rejected a report on the human rights situation in Mexico. Amnesty International asked that the U.S. Congress hold back 15 percent of Mérida Initiative funds until the Mexican government complies with human rights obligations.

++ The Mexican Bishops Conference said it will never contribute to obstruction of justice and hailed the apology offered by the Public Security Secretariat after federal agents stormed a church in Apatzingán, Michoacán, during mass. The operation was to arrest alleged members of the Familia Michoacana drug cartel.

++ Senator René Arce is set to formally request Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s expulsion from the PRD because he campaigned for other parties in recent midterm elections.

++ Andrés Manuel López Obrador made light of his possible expulsion from the PRD and called on his followers to be concerned about national problems.

++ The peso strengthened to its highest rate in two months. At the selling rate, the peso closed at 13.16 pesos per dollar and the buying rate was 12.71 pesos per dollar.

++ Another quake was felt in northern Mexico… An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Baja California and Sonora.

News Summary for August 5th, 2009

++ President Felipe Calderón welcomed deposed Honduran president Manuel Zelaya at Los Pinos… Calderón said that the rule of law and not the rule of force must prevail in Honduras… And Manuel Zelaya said that if the United States decided it, the government that took over after deposing him would fall in five minutes. The Mexican Congress’ Permanent Committee will welcome Manuel Zelaya, who will be received as Constitutional president of Honduras, in a clear message that Mexico’s Congress rejects the coup d’etat in Honduras.

++ Authorities arrested Jorge Alberto Campos Uscanga, in Veracruz. Known as el "Magadan," Campos Uscanga is a suspected member of the Los Rojos band, accused of kidnapping and killing Silvia Vargas Escalera.

++ The Mexican Bishop’s Conference strongly protested over the lack of respect shown by federal police who stormed a mass last Saturday in Apatzingán, Michoacán, to arrest suspected members of the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel. The Public Security Secretariat offered an apology to the Mexican Bishop’s Conference… In a press release the secretariat said the decision to interrupt the mass was taken to prevent drug traffickers from escaping or a shootout with them.

++ A national survey about day care centers shows that 87 percent of parents believe installations are safe. Meanwhile four ABC day care center associates testified before a federal judge in Sonora last Friday on the fire that led to the deaths of 49 infants… They were not arrested because they have an Amparo (temporary restraining order) which provides them legal protection under Mexican law.

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News Summary for August 3rd, 2009

In a joint operation the Army, Attorney General’s Office and Tabasco authorities arrested 22 municipal and state police, among them high level officers and commanders, accused of offering protection to the Gulf cartel in Tabasco… An additional nine civilians were also arrested, who are accused of being members of the Gulf cartel…
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Meanwhile, in Michoacán, Federal Police officers with army backing stormed a church in Apatzingán where mass was being held for a 15-years celebration, and arrested about 10 people, who are accused of belonging to the “La Familia Michoacana” drug cartel... Apparently, one of those present at the mass was Servando Gómez, alias "La Tuta," who, according to some reports was a godfather for the girl turning 15 – the quinceañera...
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President Felipe Calderón said the Mexican state has the responsibility of preserving sovereignty and safety, and that implies enforcing the Constitution and using its force against those who would violate it… Calderón’s words came at Mexican Navy event, he welcomed the Cuauhtémoc School Ship back at Acapulco port after a 166-day trip that covered five countries…
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Officials said that in July the federal police arrested 41 alleged drug traffickers, 21 suspected kidnappers and were also able to rescue five kidnap victims... Federal police also dismantled several narco labs and seized large amounts of ephedrine and pseudo-ephedrine, used to make synthetic drugs…
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A judge indicted Raúl Ortiz González, known as "El Azul," and who apparently belongs to the Los Rojos, kidnappers gang, which is accused of kidnapping and killing Silvia Vargas Escalera...
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One year after Fernando Martí’s body was found, Mexico United Against Crime charged that the lack of coordination among the three levels of government has led to kidnapping gangs continuing to operate in Mexico and making it be the number one country in the world for kidnapping…
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PRD leader Jesús Ortega acknowledged in a report he presented at the national council in Morelia, that he is partly to blame for poor results for the party in elections on July 5th…
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The sole candidate to head the PAN, César Nava, said he seeks unity and democracy within the party… Nava was touring Chiapas… He also called on the PRI and PRD to be open to dialogue to pass laws Mexico needs…
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The Communications and Transportation Secretariat announced that a 3.8-percent highway toll increase will kick in on Tuesday…