Mexico News Today Wednesday, July 15, 2020

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020

Sources say ex-Pemex boss has videos of lawmakers taking bribes in exchange for votes Former CEO Emilio Lozoya – arrested in Spain on corruption charges in February and expected to arrive in Mexico on Thursday – has agreed to hand over at least 12 videos of politicians accepting bribes in exchange for supporting the former government’s energy reform and other initiatives, according to sources cited by the newspaper Reforma. FULL STORY New virus cases exceed 7,000 in one day for second time The Health Ministry reported that the tally had increased to 311,486 with 7,051 additional cases registered. FULL STORY RELATED: Covid reproduction number uncontrolled in 15 states, allowing virus to spread. FULL STORY Share this email and introduce friends to Mexico News Daily Forward

Saturated hospitals trigger tougher measures in Yucatán With hospital beds filling up due to the rising number of confirmed coronavirus cases, the governor announced a return to coronavirus restrictions including a dry law and curfews. FULL STORY ‘New normal’ coming to beaches with new rules The emphasis will be on social distancing among beachgoers – people shouldn't come within four meters of others while on the sand or in the water. FULL STORY Ministry announces safety certification for tourism The Ministry of Tourism has developed a new sanitary certification system to draw foreign visitors back to Mexican tourist destinations. FULL STORY Angry relatives go after doctor after patient dies A young orthodontist in Paracho, Michoacán, was beaten and forced to flee his home after being attacked by men who believed his father, a doctor, had caused the death of someone believed to have been infected with the coronavirus. FULL STORY Border travel restrictions may be extended The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has proposed extending restrictions on non-essential travel between Mexico and the United States until August 21. FULL STORY Bankruptcy threatens hotels up to 100 years old in Puebla  More than 40 hotels in Puebla’s historic center — some of which have been operating for as long as 100 years — are on the verge of bankruptcy due to the coronavirus, says the president of the local hotel association. FULL STORY Mexicans design mask that costs under 50 pesos Student ingenuity may soon result in Mexico producing an innovative, widely available protective face mask that shields the wearer from Covid-19 and other infectious germs, is ergonomic, reusable, and affordable. FULL STORY Science agency delivers new Mexican-made ventilators The National Council of Science and Technology built the devices with help from private organizations and universities. FULL STORY Archaeologists uncover more Mexico City history under pawnshop The remains include the Palace of Axayácatl, once occupied by several rulers of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, and a house that Hernán Cortés built and occupied. FULL STORY Tree-planting program bears little fruit in first year Only half of 80 million timber-yielding and fruit trees planted during the first year of the government’s reforestation/employment program have survived, according to a report. FULL STORY Water utility accused of environmental damage The National Water Commission has filed a criminal complaint against the Acapulco water utility, alleging that it discharged sewage into the ocean at a local beach. FULL STORY Petroleum theft has poisoned water source of 10,000 in Hidalgo For at least two years residents of three communities have been complaining about their water, which has become contaminated due to leaks caused by petroleum theft along the 50 kilometers of pipeline that traverses the area. FULL STORY Ex-ambassadors warn of cool welcome for investors Mexico needs to do more to create a welcoming environment for foreign investors, three former ambassadors said. FULL STORY Canadian energy investors warn of trade deal violations On the same day as the new North American free trade agreement came into force, Canadian investors wrote to their government to warn that Mexico could already be violating the three-way pact by failing to respect existing contracts. FULL STORY Mayor forced to walk 20 km for failing to finish project Residents in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, were not pleased with the performance of the mayor, so they made him go for a long and supposedly humiliating walk. FULL STORY Guanajuato, feds agree to work jointly on security President López Obrador said the governor has agreed to set aside his differences with the federal government and work with it to combat insecurity in the state, Mexico’s most violent. FULL STORY 6-year-old in serious condition after croc attack The boy was attacked by a crocodile in Ixtapa, Guerrero, on Tuesday and was in serious condition at a local hospital. FULL STORY THE MND POLL THE STORY: Municipal, state police to take on criminal investigation role FULL STORY THE QUESTION: Should local police be given responsibility to investigate crime? VOTE HERE LAST POLL: Is a 50% reduction in murders doable by 2024? 78% said it isn't. VIEW FULL RESULTS

MEXICO LIFE Has the ubiquitous cheek kiss been lost to the coronavirus? Lydia Carey has kissed thousands of cheeks since she moved to Mexico 13 years ago. She's also had more than one disaster among some early blunders. But the habit became so ingrained in her social interactions that today, in the era of coronavirus, she finds she is missing the practice. FULL STORY OPINION AMLO is doubling down on failed bets in Mexico The first bet was NAFTA. The second was to reduce poverty and inequality by leaving intact dysfunctional tax, labour and social insurance regulations. Both failed before and both will fail again, writes Santiago Levy. FULL STORY Presidents find a distraction while countries are in crisis Presidents López Obrador and Trump have chosen to stick their heads in the sand and refuse to face society’s problems, writes Sarah DeVries. FULL STORY Newsletter options Some readers prefer to stay up to date with the three-times-weekly summary of Mexico news provided by Mexico News Today. For others, however, it's too infrequent. The alternative is The Whole Enchilada: it gives readers links to the same stories as Mexico News Today but they arrive in your inbox daily rather than three times a week. If a daily news fix is what you want, check out The Whole Enchilada here.