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Subscribe to RSSAs protesters clashed, incoming Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he aims to reduce drug-related violence, which has killed more than 60,000 people in the last six years. NBC's Lester Holt has more.
MEXICO CITY -- Enrique Pena Nieto took over as Mexican president on Saturday, offering a shot at redemption for the party that shaped modern Mexico if he can bring about an end to years of violence and economic underperformance.
Returning the centrist Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, to power after a 12-year hiatus, the 46-year-old Pena Nieto aims to use a recent improvement in the economy's fortunes to spark faster growth.
Shortly after midnight at the national palace, outgoing President Felipe Calderon formally transferred power to his successor, handing over a red, white and green national flag to Pena Nieto and saluting him.
"Today I begin to exercise the honorable office of president," said Pena Nieto, who then swore in his top security ministers.
Several thousand protesters, mainly from leftist groups that supported Pena Nieto's main rival and oppose his reform plans, massed outside Congress.
Police fired tear gas to try to disperse the protesters, who rattled metal barriers and ended up causing the swearing-in ceremony to be delayed Saturday morning. Elsewhere small groups of protesters threw Molotov cocktails.
"They have imposed an illegitimate president. There's lots of us here, this struggle is just beginning," said Frida, a 16-year-old student, her eyes stinging from the tear gas beneath a face mask and wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of a guerrilla leader.
The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd takes a Deep Dive into the relationship between U.S. and Mexico, and talks to Mexico's Former Foreign Minister and NYU Professor Jorge Castaneda about how the newly elected Mexican President Nieto's relationship will be with the United States going forward.
A former governor, Pena Nieto won the July 1 election with about 38 percent of the vote, more than 6 points ahead of second-placed leftist rival Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Telegenic and married to a popular actress, Pena Nieto promises to restore calm after more than 60,000 people were killed in violence between drug gangs and security forces during the six-year term of his conservative predecessor.
"Unfortunately, this has been something which has made or formed the image of Mexico in the world," Pena Nieto said during a trip to Europe in October. "That's why there's no doubt dealing with lawlessness more effectively is a priority."
He says he is committed to the fight against organized crime, which dominated Calderon's presidency, but has also stressed his main goal is to reduce the violence.
The new president's right-hand man, Luis Videgaray, and close political ally Miguel Angel Osorio Chong will be the two key figures in his cabinet, running the finance and interior ministries respectively.
Analysis: Pena Nieto seeks new start in ties to US
Having helped shepherd a labor reform through Congress since his election victory, Pena Nieto now wants to pass legislation to strengthen Mexico's tax base and allow more private investment in lumbering state oil giant Pemex.
If he is successful, the reforms could help spur stronger growth and create jobs, blunting the allure of organized crime.
Like many of Mexico's best-known institutions, Pemex was a creation of the PRI, which ruled for 71 uninterrupted years until it was voted out in 2000. By then, the party had become a byword for corruption, cronyism and vote-rigging.
Annual economic growth averaged less than 2 percent under the National Action Party, or PAN, over the past 12 years. That record and growing worries over the drug war violence opened the door for a PRI comeback under Pena Nieto.
Still, inflation has been kept in check, debt levels are low and growth picked up toward the end of Calderon's term, with the economy outperforming Brazil's in the past two years.
"Maintaining that stability is going to be one of the biggest challenges of the next government," said Phillip Hendrix, 44, a Mexican businessman.
Pena Nieto's inner circle features several ambitious young economists and financial experts eager to prove the PRI can do a better job of managing Latin America's second-biggest economy.
For much of the PRI's reign, Mexico enjoyed stronger growth than the PAN mustered, but memories linger of default on the country's debts in 1982 and a financial crash in 1994 and 1995.
"It's very hard to believe in the PRI. They bankrupted Mexico," said construction worker Jose Luis Mendoza.
Supporting a family of four on 1,300 pesos ($100) a week, Mendoza, 29, said he was worse off now than when Calderon took office, and doubted his life would improve under Pena Nieto. "The cost of everything has gone up - but my wage hasn't," he said.
Pena Nieto has pledged to put more money in Mexicans' pockets and shake up competition in a country where large swaths of the economy are concentrated in the hands of a few, like telecom billionaire Carlos Slim, the world's richest man.
But Pena Nieto has been vague so far about how he plans to create a more level playing field, and pollster Jorge Buendia said it would be foolish to expect radical change.
"Pena Nieto's not a reformist guy. He never has been," Buendia said. "He's an establishment guy and I don't think he's going to rock the establishment that much."
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PEMEX-----A perfect example of what happens when a government tries to run something the private sector should be running. Also, a perfect example of what happens when there is no competition.
i'm sorry but almost all OPEC countries have state owned oil companies, even the Canadians have one
hmmmm, PAN sounds like DEM, and the Mexican people were smarter than the US and voted them out.
I think the US border should drop down to the Tropic of Cancer and form 3 new states in return for taking in/care of all of Mexico's citizens that have fled to our country. Or, come get them and pay the US for the tax money we've spent on them.
Who's to say the US should stop growing?
What should we call the new states?
Get out a map and see what I'm talking about.
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1345&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=V8n25Jp_o2OZMM:&imgrefurl=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/north-america/mexico/&docid=Tr1FLHwHD5t5DM&imgurl=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/north-america/mexico/map_of_mexico.jpg&w=466&h=350&ei=RWy6UP_NN-PSiwLumoDIBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=55&sig=108258174414818518310&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=194&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:153&tx=90&ty=108
a--rand You know not of what you write. It is not the running of PEMEX that was bad, it is the wholesale pillage of the money that Mexico gets from the sale of oil.
For example, did you know that various casinos sent down to Mexico private jets to pick up PEMEX officials who took suitcases filled with dollars to gamble away in Las Vegas? The casino comped them rooms, food, whores whatever to get them up there and squander away their stolen funds.
Pemex refuses to show their accounting books. According to the "PRESIDENTS OF MEXICO" the profits from the oil were to be used for the benefit of the Mexican people. The only Mexican people who benefited from the profits were the Pemex officials and the politicians who are all corrupt.
Poor Mexico.
They tried to elect a popular leftist president, Cuauhtemoc Cardenas Solorzano of the PRD, in 1988 but got cheated out of it.
The PRI was in power and I'm sure got the O.K from the U.S. to crash the computers, then "amazingly", when the computers came back up, Salinas Gotari the PRI candidate, who was losing before the computers crashed, won the election.
The american educated, Gotari played ball with the U.S. and it's new economic orthodoxy, so called "Free-market" capitalism, thus started Mexico's slide to Narco violence and anarchy (and it had a lot of poverty already before that).
This is the way the U.S. will be in the near future if things keep going the way they are with our two corrupt, corporate funded parties the Dems and Republicans.
The U.S. is being pillaged by a small financial aristocracy (our kleptocrats) with the help of the two parties.
Even union leaders are collaborating a lot of times.
If the US and Mexico were to legalize drugs then the killing would stop
Satanick So you want the wholesale use of mind bending and mind affecting drugs to dumb down America?
If America were dumbed down any more, our collective drool would pollute even the deepest aquifer!
a--rand said
PEMEX-----A perfect example of what happens when a government tries to run something the private sector should be running. Also, a perfect example of what happens when there is no competition.''
but apparently is unaware that PEMEX discovered a nice light/sweet reservoir recently. Obviously size remains unknown but 500 MMbbl - 1000 mmbbl [500 million to 1 billion bbls] seems safe presently. Still, no doubt Pemex may need some help, and not only here.
MEXICO CITY—Mexican state-owned oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, has made its first big crude-oil discovery in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, near the Mexico-U.S. maritime boundary, President Felipe Calderon said Wednesday.
Yes, I understand completely that corporations should control all natural resources and charge what ever they want because that is capitalism. If the government controlled its resources people would have better access and pay less and the middle man wouldn't make billions just being the middle man. Why would we want that?
Dick-2100935 Of course leave the resources in the hands of the corrupt politicians who steal and pillage and have no obligation to open the books to anyone!
Congratulations. Waiting for change in Mexico.
Form a line right behind the people waiting for the spaceship that is taking them off planet Earth.
Which organization was it that recently asked for 80,000 volunteres to colonize Mars? That was just a few days ago. If we get our applications in quickly, we may not have to stand in line.
Change in Mexico began three weeks ago, in Washington and Colorado.
With an establishment man in office, you're likely to have a long wait!
to - Real Americans Hate Mexico
troll on, nevertheless u might be interested in Mex. remittances [money sent back home]
Peak quarter was July-Sep 03, 61.7087 million dollars, while 2003 was certainly the peak year, 215.81 dollars.
OK, how about now.
July/Sept quarter [2012- was 11.82 million dollars while full year was 31.63 million dollars.
The very large decline in remittances indicates that many fewer Mexicans are in the U.S. [and I'm sure you know why].
Data from Bank of Mexico - time series, quarterly 2000-2012 -
well, hot links are not permitted......pues, una vez mas por el banco de mexico -
why would Worldnews censor a link to banxico.......
I'm waiting to see where in the US Calderon is going to make his home.
Maybe Obama will make him a czar.
I'm expecting the Karzai family within 90 days of getting our troops out of Afghanistan, also. I would be surprised if Calderon hasn't already called ex Prez Fox to recomend a realtor. I'm sure they will be palling around together, after Calderon immigrates.
This may be no more than rumor, and off topic, but I recall something about the Karzais aready owning homes in Orlando and Sacremento. Can anyone confirm or deny?
Mexico needs a strong educational system that extends to every village. The masses need to be elevated out of their third world mentality to remove Mexico's stigma. Their bad press doesn't just come from the drug wars.
Who are you to say what Mexico needs? I have seen Brazil devolve in the last 20 years from being carefree and happy to the US standard of aquisition of "stuff" with 10 easy payments of $19.99 misery.
Oh, yeah genius. America is so horrible that millions try to illegally enter every year. MEXICANS say what they need, and vote with their border jumping feet. Who are Mexicans to express their needs, huh crystal E Newman?
One of the biggest problems is that our media doesn't report in-depth on our neighbors. We get far more coverage of the French and Israeli elections than we do on Canada or Mexico. Unless we have disagreements with a country in Latin America,like Cuba or Venezuela we never see anything on Latin America. That area is our backyard,and many of our citizens have roots from there. In Mexico alone,over the last few months there have been massive demonstrations.From the few photo's I've seen the crowds are in the hundreds of thousands,if not close to a million. Claiming that the election was stolen. I don't know if that's true are not. But it would be important for us to know about the problem, encase it blows up in the future.
Crystal - Thanks for confirming what I thought, you HATE America. Well, that's certainly easy enough to fix. There are flights and boats and even buses leaving the country constantly. Get on one and leave.
Yeah, crys? Education = a lust for iPads? OK. Not an opportunity to fulfill dreams of becoming a doctor, architect ...? Just a road to stuff? I'm glad you have no more say in Mexico's future than I do. Don't want the country full of any more garbage dumps that orphans call home.
Crystal>Mexico awaits you. Get on the next thing smoking and take your sorry butt out of the US. Good riddance.
Canada, really?? You don't want us paying attention to Canada. Cause then we'd see a country that cares for its people, not profits. But then again we have all those illegal Canadians, oh wait, they have NHI. We have no illegal Canadians.
Mexico, no what happens to reporters in Mexico?? along with judges police etc... Doing something about the cartels when illegal drugs make more than any other industry. What we really need to do is start building a fence along the N. Texas border. Give us a head start for when they sucede from the US. THe Texas Rangers should have no problems with the cartels.
Every voter in Mexico wanted La Terreur Mexicaine to come to an end. That was the message sent to the ruling PAN. Unfortunately this establishment guy will not be supported by the intelectual and educated class. I agree with Santosha in the first portion of his statement, a strong educational system is a must for this new government (reform).
Intellectual and educated class? They have classes in border infringement? Drug gang terror? Bribes and corruption?
Intellectuals in Mexico. I had NO idea. You'd think that if they had intellectuals in Mexico they would figure out that they have lots of natural resources, a hard working population, a steady tourism industry and everything a country needs to be as prosperous as the US. And also figure out that they are a totally corrupt nation governed by boot lickers, drug kingpins and human traffickers.
Wonder what they'd do if we annexed them, declared their states to be US states, and began insisting that they did things our way? Obviously several million of them have made that decision for themselves already. Would that be immigration reform? All of a sudden they would turn on their southern border and start building a wall....uh...well, no...Obama would forbid that. But, you see where I was going with it.
Steve, did you really think that everyone in Mexico is poor and stupid?
Breeze75 You do not understand the political structure of Mexico and the state, federal and private school systems.
You must first realize that the politicians control everything. The principals, directors and everyone in the system is on the take. They make the students buy books that are authored by these officials. The books are not well written, full of discrepences and lies.
When I was in Mexico many years ago and had the opportunity to read a Mexican history book. There was a chapter about the "WAR BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CUBA! CUBA WON THE WAR!"
The students are forced to buy, read the books and regurgitate these lies on tests.
In the city I lived, I joined the association to donate money to the local school as the state board of education refused to give the school, blackboards, chalk, teaching materials. Many teachers had to take money out of their pockets to get the basic necessities.
We did an inspection of the school grounds and found that the purified water system did not have the filters. The children were drinking unpurified water. We had audits conducted of the school finances and the store that was run by one of the parents and whose funds were to go into the general fund to finance betterments in the school. "ALL THE MONIES HAD DISAPPEARED!" Upon further investigation, as we were not going to give money to a school, which was going to steal the funds we were going to donate, we found that the school's on site director had over the years stolen millions of pesos to buy a house and a large boat which was stored on school grounds, which he was making the students clean and maintain.
We signed a petition with many of parents to relieve the director and the president of the PTA who had stolen a large sum of money and then put in people who were under the direct oversight of the new officials of the parents through the PTA.
And you believe for one second that the people who run the schools are going to turn off the spigot that is supplying them millions of pesos?
We managed to install blackboards, get chalk, supply the teachers with teaching materials, get rid of the director who was assigned to some backwater school in the mountains, put in place lawsuits, and supply the school with many improvements that it needed.
What I don't understand...? Why are you so interested, in reading Mexico's articles, and keeping "stats" if you "hate Mexican people" ? Were you treated badly on your last vacation there, or are you just a person with a "Negative Persona" ?
Huautla in 1968 You believe it is wrong to be intelligent and learn as much as possible about geo politics and news about Mexico? Possible you are familiar with the ostrich that hides his head in the sand!
At 100 dollars a week! to soport a family of 4 you can see why they come to the USA looking for work!!
He must be working for a good company... My last visit to Mexico City, my mother's funeral in 2009, one employee at the cemetery, told me she made $120.00 Pesos = approx to $12.00 dollars a day... She wasn't sitting behind a desk either... An average hamburger is $45.00 pesos and that doesn't include fries or a drink. Not every "Mexican" is willing, to leave behind their families and "working skills, ie; secretary, manager, business degrees, nurse, teacher, plumber, salesman, cashier, bus driver, etc.," to come to live in the U.S.A., as a migrant worker in the fields, orchards, (living in cabins, with no water facilities, having to go out in the cold, to an outside room, so they can shower or use the toilets) or as a sweeper in a casino or as a dishwasher. It is sad, due to the economy in Mexico, but they do their very best, to live, play, be happy and survive, in their native land. People need to give credit where "credit" is deserved... Mexico is a beautiful country, with lots of history, culture, and wonderful places to vacation, to live in. Don't judge..., I am very lucky to live here, in the U.S.A., and to be a U.S. citizen, have worked, paid taxes and currently enjoy the Freedom, of being an "American". My father fought in WWII, and I owe him, and every one, who has fought, for my Freedom. Be kind, and try to give their new President, the opportunity to hopefully make a difference in Mexico. Glad to see a change. Try to focus yourself, as to why, you entered this "post".
To Frank Ccampos: The last comment "try to focus yourself, as to why you entered this post", was not directed at you. You made a very good point... Thank you.
Yes an economic growth rate is easy to brag about when your economy is so far in the dirt it has no place to go but up,especially when you consider the contribution organized crime has pulled in from across the border.
THEY WERE BUSY HARVESTING THE FIELDS CROPS AND ORCHARDS.. Have you ever heard the word "Brazero" ? Keep up !!!
Please don't "ASSUME", that just, because some one has lived or lives in México, is not a U.S. Citizen, my Father fought in the Philippines... if you must know !!!
Now, I recommend to you, and todayopinion, that you DO take the time, to brush up on the "Mayan Prophecies" They are creeping up on you... I will not answer any more posts, to either one of you... I need to concentrate on My POSITIVE MODE, don't want to be left behind... YOU HAVE NEGATIVES TOXINS... That are just waiting to creep along... No Thanks !!!
Now, if this new guy can get the drug cartels to lay down their guns and go to church, to be nice guys. Or he could make them a better deal than the other guy didn't do.
Mexico has become the most horrible example for the world. Mexico, could get out of the mess they are in, if the USA, would make marijuana legal, as the past leader wanted us to do.
With all those Catholic statues and gods those Mexicans pray to, there should be solid peace there. Maybe they ought to try worshiping another pope, virgin, or god or whatever. Benny Hinn?
SuperNormalGuy You brain cells have atrophied from smoking too much of Mexican marijuana and snorting too much coke. You also have a deficiency in reading. Yesterday's article clearly stated word for word what the new president will do and he clearly stated that "HE WILL NOT GO AFTER THE CARTELS."
Of course you have not read the latest scientific article that studied marijuana use for 20 years and deduced that marijuana causes unreversible brain damage and damage to DNA that is passed onto children and future generations. Of course your comments clearly reveal you lack of knowledge on the effects of marijuana.
Really smart - legalize marijuana. Yeah, right, why don't we get rid of rape by legalizing it, too, then? Or murder. How you stop the drug war is by drying up the market - the American consumer. Go after him big time.
This Mexican president has signalled the drug cartels that he will not interfere in their business and will have his hand out for the predicted bribes that all his cohorts and police will demand.
The cartels will be emboldened and will continue the war between themselves. The public will be in the way and suffer. Kidnappings will increase, prostitution will increase, the use of drugs INSIDE Mexico will increase, shakedowns of businesses will increase, protection rackets will increase and the politicians will be there to receive their payoffs.
The previous government didn't do enough to find where the billions of dollars were hidden in Mexico and follow the chain up to the money men and the people in the drug cartels.
Mexico under this president will become more of a threat to the United States and its people.
I left Mexico after many years and it was bad then. It has gone slowly down hill. With the corrupt unions, extremely poor health system, terrible school system and complete disregard for its citizens, the politicians of Mexico have only one desire, line their pockets with as much money as they can steal.
This new president hasn't done any such thing.Give the guy a chance before you start bashing him.
The new president stated quite openly that he will NOT go after the cartels. Read the news.
Every Mexican president has sacked Mexico. There is corruption from the official who takes a document to the traffic cop to the officials in Mexico who give out permits to the top man himself.
There is nothing that will change.
The people who work for the government are woefully underpaid. They can not live on the salaries that are paid to them and have to depend on the "MORDIDA" = "THE BITE" so that they can live. I rather pay taxes as I do in Texas and have the freedoms and assurances of the United States, its police, judicial system than return to Mexico and fight with the politicians and "PUBLIC SERVANTS" who will do anything to get a bribe so one can live. After you have experienced that first hand for many years and reviewed in detail their way of living, then you will be qualified to have an opinion on this matter.
Actually I can have an opinion as this is America.Secondly my parents sponsered a young man from Mexico.We used to vacation down there and know many people whom our family helped financially.I am aware of the bribery system and the have and have nots.Mexico fianlly has a middle calss thanks to those who came here from Mexico and went back and started businesses.This president has not said that he won't go after the drug cartel in the same way as the last president.He has plans to rid Mexico of the cartel but he intends on trying a different approach.That's what he said.
To Todayopinion: I have reviewed your "posts"... I am not sure where you lived in México, but I assure you, that whatever school you were involved in, must have been a "dream of yours"... I lived in México, went to school there, yes, I was privilaged to go to a "private Catholic school", but I had a lot of friends, that were not as fortunate as myself... At age 16, in 1968, I moved to Oaxaca, México, (where "Benito Juarez", México's first President, was born, also an indigenous, born of poor parents...) Yes, I was part of the "hippie generation, if you must ask", and went to live in very poor places, San Mateo, San Isidro, Huautla, Puerto Escondido (not famous then, no houses no hotels, only (1) one military base, and (1) one restaurant, made of palm limbs), our mission; was to help the not so fortunate with schooling... When asked, we were provided with "blackboards and chalk" but we did the best, those children and sometimes adults, were so eager to learn to write their name, read an article or the sign on a bus, to be able to count and multiply numbers... That is, and was an incredible experience... We were paid by a watermelon, beans, tortillas, get the picture? That was 44 (forty four) years ago. Are you trying to make us believe that México still lives in that "Era" ? Get a life, your "experiences are not real..."
Huautla in 1968 My dream school was located two blocks from my house and spearheading the investigation into the corruption and blatant stealing of school funds from the government and private sources landed me in the office of the head of immigration who threatened me. I told him after he ranted and raved that the people, the director of the school and the head of the PTA who went to him with complaints about me were thieves and that he SHOULD put me on the next plane out and after I landed whereever he was going to send me, I would make a complaint at the closest Mexican consulate office and the newspapers and immediately fly back to Mexico City and make a complaint with his bosses over his actions. Of course he could not deport me as I was an immigrado and had a Mexican wife and children. He could not legally touch me for investigating fraud, corruption and abuse along with other Americans and Mexicans who were in agreement to remove the director and the head of the PTA, both Mexicans.
The school ran well under our watchful eyes. My wife was president of the PTA and I assisted the new treasurer with the books. The teaching materials were obtained and the director was sent to a village in the hills, the president of the PTA had to renounce, his wife left him due to the shame that was cast on the family and he eventually lost his business.
However, the children received a better education, the water they drank was purified, the accounts were balanced and money was received from the state board of education put in the proper bank accounts and it was assured that the funds were used to pay the teachers and provide some service.
I personally subsidize four Mexican students going to private schools. I also belong to an organization that places well qualified Mexican high school graduates in American Colleges with the proviso that these students help two more qualified Mexican high school graduates enrol in American Universities.
So yes I am well aware of the state and federal education system in Mexico. It will never measure up to U.S. standards simply based on the money factor. American teachers earn on average $45,000 a year and that is a fortune in Mexico. American Schools provide free textbooks, that are selected by the private boards of educations, while Mexican students still have to buy textbooks that are authored and printed by the schools to benefit the politicians that write them.
You want to put a little wager on my experiences? You have $100,000 to put in the hands of a third party and we go back to my little corner of Mexico and show you where my house was and the school and meet the people who along with me and my wife oversaw the school and talk to the immigration secretary about what happened? The man who threatened me died, but the secretary is still alive. We can go to the offices of the secretaria de education in the capital and review the documents. The loser pays the wager and all the expense.
Are you on for that wager? I was active in many other education experiences and I have names, dates, places and telephone numbers you can call and very.
As the saying goes, put up or shut up.
correction very=verify
Cleaning lady. Here are the exact words from the mouth of the new president. Read them clearly.
De-emphasize drug war?
Peña Nieto's predecessor Felipe Calderon made the war on drugs his most important domestic issue, former Mexican foreign minister Jorge Castañeda told NBC Latino.
"What I think Peña Nieto wants to do is emphasize reducing violence and violent crime in Mexico -- kidnapping, extortion, homicide, holdups -- and not so much the drug trade," he said.
The drug cartels have expanded their businesses to include kidnapping, extortion, money laundering, the protection rackets, prostitution, and selling drugs inside Mexico.
Now if the new president is not going to go after the drug cartels as he has stated but is going to go after the violence and climate of fear that pervades Mexican society, how is he going to do that if he does not go after the drug cartels? The middle and upper class of Venezuela are forging an alliance to combat Hugo's lack of control on crime and the gangs. And as a matter of fact he has turned Venezuela into a conduit for drugs to Cuba and then to Puerto Rico.
This is what you want for Mexico. The president is not a fool. He has sent emmisaries to the drug cartels to find out how much they will pay him for taking the heat off them. Wait and you will see the reports that seep out.
The number one business in Mexico alongside Pemex are the drug cartels and you will see much less government intervention and less news coverage. The news coverage will be caught between the crackdowns by the government and the drug cartels.
For the 70+ years that the PRI was in power, they owned the press. There is nothing to say that the new government will not continue to suppress the truth.
There was an article that the Mexican government brought a grievance against U.S. poultry farms for selling chicken cheaply to Mexico. The Mexican press reported that the price of chicken in Mexico increased dramatically due to an exportation tariff of 23% that the U.S. put on chicken. It was not reported in the Mexican press that Mexican chicken ranches complained to the government that the U.S. was selling chicken too cheaply in Mexico and demanded a MEXICAN TAX INCREASE OF 23% ON THE IMPORTATION OF CHICKEN! Here you have a prime example how the Mexican press can distort the facts.
Immediately chicken prices jumped almost 50%. Egg prices jumped almost 60%.
Now you have Mexicans who have to spend almost 25% of their income on food, while Americans spend 6% of their income on food.
Among the most ridiculous stories is that Walmart paid millions of dollars on permits and variances as bribes.
Of course they had to! The officials had them! The other Mexican food and department stores also have to do it.
Walmart "HAD" brought down prices but now that the Mexican retailers are yelling their heads off about American competition the government is siding with them and squeezing Walmart, Sam's and Cosco.
Finally there is competition for the Mexican super market chains. They are still run half ass but now they have to compete.
Food prices are skyrocketing. Beef, pork, chicken and seafood are ridiculously high and in many cases much higher than in the U.S. Services are zooming out of control. Rents are ridiculous for anything half way decent. Public services are almost non existent. Taxes have grown enormously. There is a federal 17% sales tax on everything including hotel rooms and restaurants.
And where are al these taxes and increased rates going to? Right into the pockets of the politicians.
What I'd like to know is how anyone with a name like Pena (pain) Nieto (grandson) can win anything, anywhere except maybe the 'Dorkiest Hispanic Surname' award.
Maybe the Priistas thought they could 'grandfather' their way back into the ruling elite. . .
With the exception of Felipe Calderon Hinojosa who genuinely cared for his country, his fellow countrymen and their welfare. However, he couldn't do it alone. The US did nothing to dry up the market (jail the American consumer). US weapons were smuggled across the border to the Cartels who were then better armed than the Mexican government. Felipe Calderon Hinojosa is a true patriot. Pena Nieto is a sell-out to the Cartels.
Yahda, Yahda, Yahda...what's worth noting is the fact that the Mexican President gets to wear a really cool sash. Yep, it's like part of the official duties, he doesn't wear it all the time, they break that bad boy out for the really big deals.
We should do that, President Obama should get himself a really cool sash, maybe a couple. He could wear them at appropriate national days ( a rainbow sash for Gay/Lesbian/Transgender days, African colors for African American History month, Irish colors fro St Patrick's Day, etc.). It could become a fashion trends that could create thousands of jobs and add billins to the economy.
Holy Crap....I need to get this patented and copyrighted, screw Powerball!
Could it be, that there are people here in the USA, that are making very big profit money from the drug trade, and do not want the USA, to make pot legal? The news people have said, our border drug police, have been known to look the other way, and allow drugs to come into our country, for a bundle of money in their pockets. So what do we do, pay the border drug police more money, or make pot legal, and put the Mexican drug cartels out of business?
BILLIONS in government cheese known as the war on drugs.
Hmm...a Mexican "establishment" guy. Does that mean he will be sneaking into Arizona within the week?
Why are you so racist? Why hate people for no reason?
Ohhhhh, we have plenty of reasons to hate them.
billions of reasons
abcnews.go.com/Business/illegal-immigrants-cost-us-100-billion-year-group/story?id=10699317
www.factcheck.org/2009/04/cost-of-illegal-immigrants/
rense.com/general81/dtli.htm
www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/USCostStudy_2010.pdf
www.chicagonow.com/chicago-political-commentary/2011/04/illegal-immigration-costs-u-s-taxpayers-113-billion-annually/
Is that all??? How many are still missing that will never be found or get discovered in a mass grave in some remote area???
I wish him luck and congratulate Mexico's new president.If not for the drug cartels I would still be going to Ensenada every summer for a vacation.I'm hoping that he can end the drug cartel,the poverty and bring about a better educational system for Mexico.
My precious Ensenada. Riding horses on the beach. Hanging out with the locals. Huevos rancheros, hot chocolate and coffee, tons of salsa, the morning after a Hussong's hangover. I started going in the late 60's. It pains me it's off limits.
Chuorros,tortilla's and freshly made pork tamales.bonfires on the beach and yes the horse back riding and fire crackers on the beach.Can't do that stuff here.I actually get kind of homesick every summer for Ensenada.We used to have a trailer year round at El Faro Beach.We left it there because the Ensenada police were in cahoots with the cartel.One young man murdered his brother,the owners of El Faro Beach due to the drug cartel involvement.I watched those kids grow up and I was heartsick.I love Mexico and the people of that country.
The improvements in their economy are due to the tons of cannabis and crystal method being pumped into America to oppress our people. God, I wish we could cut all ties with Americas toilet.
Do us all a favor and stop using them yourself before posting. You know, start small and then convince your good old, rootin' toothin' conservative christian fellows that love them meth in the morning in the heart of Texas and in the good old Kansas country side to not smoke no mour. Later go to Wall Street and preach to your favorite people in the world, bankers and CEOs to stop blowing coke. P.S. it is METH not method, LOL
shut your ignorant pie hole. Mexico is the result of no Republicans voting there, can't blame Bush can you?
Who´s blaiming republicans? Mr. Nazi, people who point to other's sins are the ones commiting those sins. Look at Gingrich's affair while trying to impeach Clinton, or the anti-gay crusades of Ted Haggard while sniffing cocaine from a male whore. The point is that those who are the most obnoxius about an issue are the ones doing it in secret but deflect to other people so attention is not focused on them.
P.S. While Democrats do the same thing they do not brand themselves as the "family" values party(whatever that means) and then play with prostitutes or cheat their wives with Argentinian women.
Right on!!
If we're going to bring Dems and Repubs into it. Think about this, for unintended consequences. When the blue states have all legalized marijuana, the Cartels will abandon their activities in those states, as unprofitable, and concentrate the bulk of their activities in the red states. The last states to legalize pot will become violence ridden bastions of Narco Culture. While the rightwing fundies are shouting out against legalizing the gateway devil weed, they are really inviting Cartel bosses to move into the mansion next door to their own.
To madcitizen: Are you talking about Mexican pot? Besides "Acapulco Gold" I don't believe there has been anything to its equal, back in 1965... (pure gold residue in your fingers...) Except for Thai sticks and skunk weed... Have you ever been to "Etna", California and surrounding towns: SKUNK WEED, born and raised HERE IN THE U.S.A. I am not a pot user, but I do know some things... And México, does not bring METH either... My understanding is, guess what ? It is also born and raised HERE IN THE U.S.A. Stay tune to the news "pot growers busted... meth lab busted..." Some probably in your own neighborhood.
Huautla in 1968 You insulted me and doubted my character and my writings. I replied with a wager of $100,000. So far I have not had a reply from you.
How do you know that the Mexican drug cartels are not manufacturing Meth and bringing it across the border?
You make accusations and yet refuse to accept a wager to go to Mexico along with me and find out the facts. That makes you look awfully bad and makes your writings very suspect.
I am willing to put a CERTIFIED CHECK FOR $100,000 in the hands of a lawyer and write up the bet. Are you?
First: I do not "Gamble or wage money"
Second: I have never heard of "Mexican METH" I have seen and been around "Mexican brown", aka: heroin, just like "China white, aka: heroin... Not all hippies are brain dead or retarded... As I explained earlier, I do NOT consume "pot" or any recreational drugs... Some of us, got HIGH through nature, the mountains, river, good Karma, good vibes, occasional mushrooms, peyote, (which were legal in México, when I was young, I think you can still buy peyote, in the open markets...) Peyote, only if you could hold it long enough... Did you know that they used "peyote" during the Aztec era, to send messages, with runners from Veracruz, to Mexico city ? They could run for long periods of time...
Now, as far as the schools is concerned, I have never read, or heard that Cuba won the War from the U.S.A.
México City, has a great university i.e.; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México = UNAM, where prestige doctors, engineers, businessmen, etc., have attended... A lot of my family lives in México, and there are PLENTY of PUBLIC Schools, not only "Primaria, Secundaria y Preparatoria" that are "FREE", with no charge to the students for books... I stated in my post, where I lived in México, and what my experience was, you DID NOT...
Let's talk about the $100,000.00, I rather you spent the money, in your family and yourself, with a better quality of meals, than the $1.40 meals, per day, that you so much brag off...
Now, I believe the opportunity to be able to post a comment, doesn't mean an attack... I respect your opinions, you need to respect mine..., and, if you felt that I insulted you, then, I sincerely apologise.
With everything said, I WILL NOT BE ANSWERING YOU, OR ANY POSTS, I recommend to you, that you DO take the time, to brush up on the "Mayan Prophecies" (Aztec Calendar) They are creeping up on you...
I need to concentrate on My POSITIVE MODE, don't want to be left behind... YOU HAVE NEGATIVE TOXINS..., That are just waiting to creep along...
No Thanks !!!
Oh, i made a typing error now therefore you are smarter than me. Look, we all know the plot of La Raza to reclaim Atzlan and they say it right on their website. Mexico blames the United states for all of it's problems instead of understanding that it's own selfish government does nothing to help them. Go ahead and yell racist at me, this will not intimidate me to be quiet and is such an easy scapegoat to use. Call me racist when we attack La Raza and wake this country up about the problem it has here on it's own soil.
It wasn't the typing error.
Why do you act so surprise? People steal land from each other since humans roamed the earth. Spaniards took it from the locals, then the US took it from Mexico and now this people are claiming it. Well, that is the circle of life.
silly mexicans have their own OWS crowds, how un-informed and ignorant.
The biggest problem facing Mexico in the near future is due to proximity to USA. Mexico needs a real revolution, the type Pancho Villa can bring. This is a corrupt country and the USA is glad to keep them that way. It means total control!!! All that money and assistance for the last 100 years and nothing to show for it. MEXICO is still a third world country and always will be.
They have corruption and it is not a third world country for your information.There are many educated people in Mexico.FYI,they are no more corrupt than our country with the lobbyists buying votes.Have you seen our gang problem and the drug trade go away in the U.S.?Look at some of the towns and neighborhoods in the U.S. and you still think that our country,the U.S. is superior?Quite frankly I'd love to have retired in Ensenada.
They ARE a third world nation, they don't have anything close to first world standards. They don't take care of their poor, in fact that encourage illegal immigration and the number one import is remittances from illegals in the United States. They don't have compulsory school, the government makes them pay, if they want to be educated. They don't have anywhere near the same standards when it comes to medical facilities or coverage. I could go on and on. When your country is poor vs. rich with nothing in between, like ours will be soon, you can't consider yourself a success.
just a cleaning lady there is nothing stopping you from going back to Ensenada. You can enjoy, as you say, the same gangs, corruption and lobbyists down there, with the fact that they are armed and dangerous and will shot you as soon as look at you.
And many of the gangs in the U.S. are latino gangs. You can take them with you.
If, as you say that Mexico is superior to the U.S. what is stopping you from returning to Mexico. You can get the U.S. government to send you S.S. checks to a bank there. Don't try getting them sent to you by mail. You probably didn't here about the federales raiding the Guadalajara Post Office and find rooms stuffed with open mail from the states. Every single one of the opened letters were from some bank, financial office or government office. It still takes over a month and a half to get any letter from the U.S. to Mexico and Mexican postal rates are almost the same as those in the U.S. Another case of corruption and mismanagement. When I lived in Australia I got surface mail from the U.S. in five working days. Why does it take 45 days for a letter from Texas to get to Mexico City?
Return to Mexico? I am Caucasian,born in the U.S.A. and I loved vacationing there.There are educated people and yes there is even now a middle class.Guess the only place you've been is Mexicali and Tijuana.I have no clue about their mail system but as a former telephone operator i could get s long distance call for customers in California to Mexico in seconds.There is corruption in Mexico and there is corruption in the U.S.Not too many countries are without their faults.
Jesus! Why doesn't Mexico/Mexicans look to Guatemala for a change?? We are always in Mexico's scope. LEAVE US ALONE. I am soooo sick of Mexicans I don't know what to do. GO AWAY. TIRED OF YOU. SICK OF YOU!
Corruption has been rampant all over the world since the beginning of civilization. I have no hope for the future of Mexico with it´s new president.... Peña Nieto is one of the most ignorant men to occupy high office. So it seems big corporations have won for now.
I am having hope for Mexico because there success or lack of affects our country.
now maybe the illegal Mexicans will stay in Mexico or get a passport and or visa if the want to go to another country so they are not illegal. most of them if they tried they couldn't get ether one because of their record. and that's exactly the ones the united states don't want in this country. hope this guy can straighten it out.
I would like to see this as a positive thing but it comes back to "what is this going to cost the American taxpayers."
Well, in Mexico the equivalent of a gallon of gas is only $2.50 (US). No where in the US is gas that cheap.
The gangs in this country push drugs,kill people and we are financially supporting them when we incarcerate them.They get their drugs from the drug cartels.We've had drug cartel family members arrested here in the U.S.We've extradited drug cartel members to the U.S. and will support them while they are incarcerated.This has and will cost our country plenty of taxpayers money.People in the U.S. should wish Mexico to be a success for their citizens as well as ourselves because they are our neighbors.The drug cartels have hurt our country as much as Mexico and the everyday people do not want to live in fear anymore than we do.It's ignorant to judge a nation of people based on a few.
What a joke! Every Mexican president has been a liar, even more so are corrupted by drug cartels. Trust me when I say Nietos first order of business will be a meeting with the leaders of the two big drug cartels to find out what he can do for them to make it look like he's fighting them and what he can do to help them get their meth shipments smoothly through to the US.
Hell I wouldn't be surprised if half these so called big drug siezures they get on record are nothing but bundles of packaged sand. Meanwhile the real shipments of meth can go unchecked through the border. If you've ever seen a border bust the Mexican border gaurds focus all their attention on the truck with the drugs in it thinking there would be no way a second or third truck would come through the same border. Now they've got to either empty that truck of its contents or tow to a location to search it. It is at this time the other ten trucks are driving through with tons of meth..
Again, another MX El Presidente with too much form, and no action. Oh well, the norm for MX; no change.