Mexico News Today Friday, July 24, 2020

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2020

Odebrecht paid US $10mn to fund Peña Nieto’s campaign, pay bribes: ex-Pemex boss Lozoya The Brazilian company funded the 2012 political campaign of former president Enrique Peña Nieto to the tune of US $4 million and gave another $6 million to his government after he took office, according to former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya. Some of that cash allegedly paid off opposition party lawmakers for legislative support. FULL STORY New virus cases hit a record after breaking 8,000 in a single day The Health Ministry reported a single-day record of 8,438 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, lifting the accumulated case tally to 370,712. FULL STORY RELATED: Declines in coronavirus case numbers seen in Sonora, Baja California. FULL STORY Share this email and introduce friends to Mexico News Daily Forward

Poorest municipality records its first coronavirus case Santos Reyes Yucuná, Oaxaca, reported its first confirmed case of the coronavirus on July 17, four months after the pandemic reached Mexico. FULL STORY Higher hospital occupancy will leave Mexico City on orange next week Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the city will remain at the orange alert level due to a growing demand for hospital beds and fears that there could be a resurgence of coronavirus cases. FULL STORY Occupancy at ‘alarming levels’ in Nuevo León Hospital occupancy is high in seven of eight IMSS hospitals due to increased admissions of coronavirus patients. The governor warned the state could revert to the maximum alert level, meaning a return to economic shutdown. FULL STORY Government announces reparations for Chiapas massacre that killed 45 The federal government is preparing “20 actions of reparation” to compensate for a 1997 massacre in Chiapas in which Toztil Maya people were killed by paramilitaries, also Tzotzil Maya. FULL STORY Salamanca refinery emits clouds of yellow smoke The state of Guanajuato will file a complaint against the Pemex refinery after it emitted large plumes of yellow smoke Thursday morning, alarming residents. FULL STORY Guanajuato in shock over cancellation of Cervantino Businesses and residents of Guanajuato are in shock after learning that the annual festival will be an online event this year. There had been hopes that it would help revive the local economy. FULL STORY Volkswagen workers union seeks 12% pay hike Workers in Puebla intend to go on strike if the German automaker doesn’t agree to a pay rise. The company's production declined 54% in the first half of the year. FULL STORY The tlayuda wins Netflix street food championship The Oaxacan dish has been crowned the best street food in Latin America among Twitter users who voted in a poll by the Netflix streaming service. FULL STORY RELATED: Oaxaca’s tlayuda faces off against ceviche, choripan in food championship. FULL STORY THE MND POLL THE STORY: Recovering lost miners’ bodies estimated to take 4 years, cost 1.75bn pesos FULL STORY THE QUESTION: Is the project to recover Coahuila miners' bodies a wise use of public funds? VOTE HERE LAST POLL: Should local police be given responsibility to investigate crime? 54% said it should. VIEW FULL RESULTS Transportation minister resigns; disagreed with AMLO over ports decision Javier Jiménez resigned on Thursday because he disagreed with President López Obrador’s decision to put the military in charge of ports and maritime customs. He had also disagreed with abandoning the airport at Texcoco. FULL STORY Yaqui train blockade in Sonora holds up delivery of 1,000 containers A rail blockade by indigenous people demanding the government fulfill social development commitments has delayed the delivery of more than 1,000 shipping containers. FULL STORY Economic activity fell 21.6% in May to lowest level ever The coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions ravaged Mexico’s economy in May, new data shows. FULL STORY Zacatecas prison officials find another escape tunnel A second tunnel has been found at Cieneguillas prison in Zacatecas, but all inmates were present and accounted for. FULL STORY Official uses his position to justify running 4 red lights Police in Acapulco arrested a municipal councilor for driving while intoxicated and ignored his claims of political immunity. FULL STORY World’s largest roll-on/roll-off ship berths in Veracruz The cargo ship designed specifically for carrying wheeled merchandise such as cars docked at the port in the first leg of its maiden voyage. FULL STORY Fossils of flying reptile found here for first time Scientists have found fossil evidence in Coahuila of a flying reptile whose existence in Mexico was previously unknown. FULL STORY Tourist industry offered 11bn pesos in financing to combat effects of virus The Ministry of Tourism has launched the loan program for the hotel, travel agency and ground transportation industries. FULL STORY Mexican Grand Prix auto race postponed until 2021 The 2020 Formula 1 auto race will be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced today. FULL STORY Absent timeshare owners cost Baja California Sur economy US $150 million While visitors are slowly starting to return, things are far from normal in Baja California Sur, where the Minister of Tourism says timeshare owners have been staying away. On the bright side, tour companies such as providers of walking, diving, snorkeling, kayak and glass-bottom boat tours have been allowed to reopen. FULL STORY

MEXICO LIFE Life in rural Mexico: when thunder rolls, the lights go out One always keeps a good collection of wax candles ready because you won't get by without them, writes John Pint, who also relates — from experience — how to fry a computer. FULL STORY