News Summary for September 6th, 2011

++ UNAM rector José Narro presented a security strategy designed by UNAM academicians to President Felipe Calderón. The president said he was willing to adopt new methods to guarantee the safety of Mexicans but he said that facing up to crime was not a matter of choice. Later, at a conference with citizens on security, Calderón expressed frustration at the legal system, since he said the government arrests criminals and judges set them free on technicalities.

++ A federal judge in Nuevo León rejected an amparo sought by the former Operations Director at the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE)… The former electricity commission operations director, Néstor Félix Moreno Díaz, who is accused of illegal enrichment, could be arrested…

++ Investigations began at the Eurodólar currency exchange house… Murdered journalist Rocío González Trápaga was a shareholder in the currency exchange center. Chief justice of the Federal District Superior Tribunal Edgar Elías Azar said that an autopsy showed that both female reporters died from strangulation and gunshot wounds.

Conversation with former President of Colombia

I was interviewed by @NTN24.  Also participating was former President of Colombia Cesar Gaviria, who had very interesting comments regarding Mexico. Please watch.

News Summary for September 5th, 2011

­PAN politician Josefina Vázquez Mota said she will step down on Tuesday from her position as leader of PAN deputies to seek her party’s nomination for the presidency…

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Senator Manlio Fabio Beltrones called on his fellow lawmakers to approve political, fiscal and security amendments to move forward in attacking corruption and impunity.

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The Monterrey Human Development secretary Miguel Ángel García Domínguez was caught on video together with the brother of the mayor, Manuel Jonás Larrazabal, negotiating the re-opening of the Red Casino with its owner, Sergio Gil. Civil groups and citizens gathered together at the Macro-plaza to demand that Nuevo León Governor Rodrigo Median and Mayor Fernando Larrazabal resign… Their slogan was “Monterrey Says Enough”.

The Catholic Church charged that behind the tragedy in the Casino Royale lie not only criminals, but also public servants who fail to carry out their tasks.

News Summary for September 2d, 2011

++ The Nuevo León Attorney General’s Office initiated an investigation against Jonás Larrazabal Bretón, brother of the Mayor of Monterrey, Fernando Larrazabal, on suspicions he was charging extortion money to casinos operating illegally in Monterrey. Operations director for the Nuevo León Firefighters Andrés Molina said that if the Casino Royale had installed appropriate security measures the arson attack would not have spread so quickly nor would 53 people would have been killed. He said he only saw one emergency exit and the other one was false one, even though security requirements stipulate six emergency doors.

++ Unknown assailants lobbed two smoke grenades in a betting hall belonging to Grupo Caliente in Tijuana, Baja California.

++ Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said there is no evidence of extortion operations in Mexico City in connection to Casino businesses.

++ Authorities found the bodies of two women linked to Contralinea investigative journalism magazine. The naked bodies of Contralinea founder Ana Maria Marcela Yarce Viveros and independent journalist Rocio Gonzalez Trapaga, were found in a park in Iztapalapa borough in Mexico City…