Viewpoint: Time to look beyond Mexico drug violence BBC News
June 19, 2012
Mexicans prepare to elect a new president on 1 July, David A Shirk of
San Diego University’s Trans-Border Institute argues for an end to
overly negative views of the country:
If Mexico were a stock, now might be the time to buy. The country has
been severely under-valued in recent years.
Despite high rates of crime and violence elsewhere in Latin America, the
media tend to focus relentlessly on Mexico’s drug war.
The murder rate is nearly 20 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, but this
is significantly lower than in Brazil, Colombia, and Puerto Rico.
And the Central American nations of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras have
murder rates nearly twice that of Mexico.
Still, because of exaggerated fears that Mexico is becoming a “failed
state” or sliding into a “narco-insurgency,” many tourists and investors
have shied away from the country.
And these fears in turn fuel often unfounded concerns about Mexico.
When five burned bodies were found in the Arizona desert earlier this
month, the local authorities were quick to blame spillover violence from
Mexico.
Post-mortem reports now indicate that the incident was probably
something that is, unfortunately, more typical of the US: a
murder-suicide in a troubled marriage.
*Bad press*
Mexico’s public relations problems have not been limited to security.
Three years ago, Mexico bore the brunt of the global H1N1 or swine flu
crisis.
Some reports initially called it the Mexican influenza, even though the
epidemic may well have started elsewhere in North America.
And in the latest wave of panic among global investors, the Mexican peso
took an unexpected dive this month.
With some opinion polls showing increased support for Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador, the leftist candidate, the peso’s value dropped by 12%
from its long, stable 13:1 ratio against the dollar.
But for long-term Mexico observers, things are not as bleak as they
might first appear.
According to the latest analysis by the Trans-Border Institute,
drug-related homicides were down by some 19% compared with the same time
last year.
If this pattern continues, 2012 will see fewer drug killings than in the
two previous years which saw admittedly high levels of violence with
some 15,000 and 16,700 murders respectively.
Such a change would be welcome in itself but it would also reflect that
there is much more to Mexico than drug violence.
While Mexico is on the list of travel warnings issued by the US state
department, along with Iran, Algeria and Syria, it is still the number
one destination for US citizens travelling abroad.
There were more than 20 million visits by Americans last year.
And an estimated one million US citizens reside permanently in Mexico.
*Consumers*
Mexico is also of growing economic importance. It needs to improve its
energy sector, but it is the seventh largest oil producer and the third
biggest oil supplier to the US market.
More US export-based jobs depend on Mexico than on any other country
except Canada.
And Mexican investors now own major US brands like Dairy Fresh milk
products, Entenmann’s pastries, and Thomas’ English Muffins.
Even the New York Times is part-Mexican, with billionaire Carlos Slim
owning about 7% of the company and rights to buy up to 16%.
This all reflects the growing buying power and role of Mexican investors
in the international economy in recent years.
The purchasing power of Mexicans is also set to grow in the coming decade.
Mexican income levels, currently around $13,000 (£8,350) per capita,
have grown modestly but they have grown.
Shifting population dynamics and better employment opportunities in
Mexico have also begun to reverse outbound migration, a major change on
the last three decades.
*Challenges*
To be sure, Mexico is entering a time of some uncertainty.
The presidential election is likely to see the return to power of the
Institutional Revolutionary Party, which ruled the country for 71 years.
Its candidate, Enrique Pena Nieto, benefits from a unified party
apparatus, telemetric looks, and weak rivals in Mr Lopez Obrador and
Josefina Vazquez Mota of the governing party.
For some, the PRI is unfit to take back the reins of power, given
concerns about corruption within its ranks.
An alternative view is that the PRI’s alleged corruption allows it to
negotiate with drug traffickers and restore order.
Both views are probably over-simplified.
Mexican voters have a lower tolerance for corruption than in the past,
and with drug gangs fragmented after years of fighting it would be
harder to strike a deal with them.
Mexico is unlikely to turn back the clock on democracy or fall prey to
the fiery populism that has taken hold elsewhere in the region.
While security remains a problem, the drop in drug-related killings is
promising.
Mexico was arguably the Greece of the 1980s and 1990s, suffering
excruciating debt and monetary crises. But Mexico, which hosts the G20
summit next week, is Greece no more.
The country is likely to continue to grow economically, reduce poverty,
and nourish its small, but expanding, middle class.
Regardless of who wins on 1 July, it is time to change the conventional
exceedingly bearish outlook on Mexico.
From BBC News Latin America
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Mexican gov't declares disaster in areas hit by storm
Mexican gov't declares disaster in areas hit by storm
Published June 19, 2012
EFE
A disaster declaration has been issued for 68 cities in the southern state of Oaxaca and five cities in the southwestern state of Guerrero affected by Hurricane Carlotta, the Mexican federal government said.
The disaster declaration will allow areas hit by the storm to receive assistance, the national emergency management office said.
Affected cities will be eligible to receive money from the Natural Disasters Fund to provide food, clothing and medical assistance to hurricane victims, the government said in a statement.
Carlotta became a Category 1 hurricane on Friday and strengthened to Category 2.
The storm later weakened and made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane before being downgraded Saturday morning to a tropical storm and later to a tropical depression.
Oaxaca was the state most affected by Hurricane Carlotta, which killed at least three people in the region.
Cities across Oaxaca reported damage to roads, bridges, telephone lines, the power grid and crops.
The storm dumped heavy rains on western, central and southern Mexico.
The Pacific Ocean hurricane season began on May 15 and ends on Nov. 30.
The first hurricane of the season was Bud, which formed on May 24 and reached Category 3 but caused little damage. EFE
Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/06/19/mexican-govt-declares-disaster-in-areas-hit-by-storm/#ixzz1yISxdjq7
Mexico, the beaches and secret hiding places Some of the most beautiful places in the Mexican coast, where tourism development does not ruin the view and life proceeds at a pace loose and relaxed.
June 19, 2012
02:25
Mexico, the beaches and secret hiding places
Some of the most beautiful places in the Mexican coast, where tourism development does not ruin the view and life proceeds at a pace loose and relaxed.
Puerto Escondido, a paradise for surfers
Great images of the Mexican Pipeline and professionals in the table that the ride and tame.
The gentle beaches and crystal clear waters of Mexico have attracted travelers for decades. But the southern Pacific coast is the place where you can observe the most relaxing seascapes, just feels the need to tie the hammocks between palm trees, mango trees grow slowly, and visitors strolling on deserted beaches to the sound of waves break.Here things move with calm rhythms: it is the perfect set to pull the plug, learn to surf, or enjoy the last glimmer of sunset from the veranda of a restaurant, while enjoying a menu with a seafood dinner Candlelight. And the best thing about places like this is that, unlike the Mexican tourist mecca that is Cancun, there are hotels of international chains are monstrous to ruin the view.
Photos in pulverem reverteris
The city of Mexico where you can dream of holidays at sea are all lazy and quiet a collection of golden beaches, hotspot for surfers, hiking bays where dolphins, turtles and whales. It can be a bit 'difficult to get around here, many visitors use as a base airports Oaxaca and Mexico City, then fly on small airports in places such as Puerto Escondido, a surfer's paradise, or Bahías de Huatulco, home ecological resort. These shifts may be complicated and take away some 'time: but the extra effort is amply rewarded by a visit soon asseconderà the powerful natural beauty and lifestyle of those resting places.
Photo of Fido
Puerto Escondido is the "hidden port" that attracts all types of travelers from the world by professional surfboard to those who simply love to walk on the beach, this former fishing village is the best way to begin our journey into the relaxed spirit of the region. It is here that the legendary Mexican Pipeline roars, wave to pro surfers. Do not you feel ready to ride? Tranquilli, Puerto Escondido there are many surf schools for beginners will start on calmer waters. Who does not like schedules and programs can walk on the beaches where the lessons are often improvised at the moment. But whatever your daily activities, the evening will always engage in numerous bars and restaurants with live music and a lively nightlife loose and unpretentious.
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Photo of Christian Ramiro Gonzales Veran
Zipolite, Puerto Angel and Mazunte are the three cities on the coast with the most languid charm, pale conferred by beaches and a host of bungalows: someone described them as places where one can find the old hippy atmosphere. The music of Bob Marley in the background, the yoga guru who lecture while taking the sun, and small and ramshackle beach bar make this place the perfect destination for relaxation. The beaches are the real implementation of the classic dreams with open eyes, the accommodations are simple wooden structures with thatched roofs, and the menus focus on the catch of the day. All in a landscape decorated with crashing waves, a strong sun, coves between the rocks and lush hills and abundant trees.
Photo of Christian Ramiro Gonzales Veran
Bahías de Huatulco is the new tourist development of the Mexican coast, facing those travelers who prefer to sleep between linen sheets rather than on the beach. Situated between a series of sandy bays, nine in all (hence the name of the place) its expansion is taking into account all ecological debates addressed in the past: built structures are separated by stretches of unspoiled coastline and others under federal protection. In comparison with other tourist destinations of Mexico, Huatulco remains a relatively crowded resort area, with a series of scenic beaches lapped by beautiful waters and guarded by dense mangrove forests. The tourist agencies offer these parts from a wide range of entertaining activities, from snorkeling to diving and white water rafting, horseback riding and diving offshore. Those who want to see the coast in all its pristine glory can organize a guided walk to the Parque Nacional Huatulco: 119 square kilometers of lush land, sea and beaches, including the most important coral reefs of Huatulco.
continua su: http://travel.fanpage.it/messico-le-spiagge-segrete-e-i-luoghi-nascosti/#ixzz1yFTZybiR
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The Passing of Hurricane Carlotta
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Passing of Hurricane Carlotta
Well, we consider ourselves lucky after Hurricane Carlotta rolled through Huatulco this past weekend.
We didn't sustain a direct hit, and unfortunately, the communities of Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido were hit harder.
The clean up is happening as I write this and Huatulco should be back to normal shortly.
Some of the smaller communities outside of Huatulco were not as lucky as structural damage was more significant, and three lives were lost. The intense rains brought mud slides and flooding to these smaller areas and the aftermath will be felt for much longer.
We are very thankful for the first class infrastructure in Huatulco, things could have been much worse.
Hurricane Carlotta dumps torrential rains and kills 3 in Mexico Posted on June 18, 2012
Hurricane Carlotta dumps torrential rains and kills 3 in Mexico
Posted by The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond
June 18, 2012 – MEXICO – Two girls were killed when their house collapsed in southwestern Mexico in a mudslide under heavy rains unleashed by Hurricane Carlotta, local officials said Saturday. The two sisters — aged seven and 13 — died in Oaxaca, after Carlotta made landfall late Friday as a category one storm on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, the state institute of Civil Protection said. Officials said the children’s mother was seriously injured in the collapse of her house, made of brittle material and erected in a mountainous area near the Pacific coast. The third person to die in the storm was a 56-year-old woman from the coastal city of San JoseManialtepec, the Oaxaca Attorney General’s Office said. The woman was killed Friday night as she drove from her riverfront house to another dwelling in an effort to find shelter. The woman’s vehicle was knocked over by the storm’s powerful winds, killing her, the AG’s office said, adding that a relative traveling with the victim was not hurt. Elsewhere in Oaxaca’s coastal area, authorities reported minor property damage, including roofs torn off by the force of the winds, falling trees blocking roads, power cuts and small-scale flooding. “The rains were very heavy on Friday, but this morning, there is decreased cloud cover as the storm faded,” a civil protection official said. Carlotta quickly petered out after making landfall just northwest of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca state, and weakened to a tropical depression earlier Saturday over the mountains of southern Mexico. The Mexican government discontinued all watches and warnings over Carlotta, which was expected to slow down gradually into Sunday, although the storm or its remnants were forecast to remain inland over southern Mexico for the next day or two, according to the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm had whipped up large waves, and shipping was halted in the ports of Salina Cruz, Huatulco, Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, officials said. In preparation for landfall, Mexican authorities had set up 32 shelters able to hold 2,000 people, while auditoriums and other indoor spaces were readied as a precautionary measure. –Terra Daily
HURRICANE CARLOTTA HITS PUERTO ESCONDIDO Cat 1 storm makes landfall in beach town, dissipates over inland Mexico after causing widespread damage and flooding
HURRICANE CARLOTTA HITS PUERTO ESCONDIDO
Cat 1 storm makes landfall in beach town, dissipates over inland Mexico after causing widespread damage and flooding
- Published:June 18, 2012
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- Hurricane Carlotta hit Puerto on Friday night with winds in the 90mph+ range. Photo: André Portugal
For starters the whole population of Puerto and the towns nearby were definitely NOT ready for this. The authorities were saying on the local radio it was a tropical storm and not a Category 2 hurricane. So lots of people were not prepared for what we all felt.
I was tracking the storm for about two days before it hit us. A couple of hours before it started, I was able to warn my family and all of our friends. (People here generally don't take things seriously and therefore, no one had the essentials.)
The storm started hitting us around 7pm with strong winds, about 50mph. The winds increased slowly until the eye of the storm was right on top of us and everything stopped. Lots of people thought it was over, but it was far from over.
That was around 8pm. As soon as the eye moved on, the winds finally came on strong, around 90mph, with gusts up to around 120mph. The darkness made things a lot worse, I think. No one could actually see what was going on.
Lots of houses lost their roofs and those inside had to run to find shelter somewhere else. I gave shelter to a family of 10 -- all in one room, hiding till next morning. The windows were whistling like crazy. It was scary. Lots of windows split apart.
Winds lasted until 10pm, I think, and then the rain came. It was maybe not as strong as Hurricane Pauline in '97, but some people think the winds were stronger this time due to the wind direction.
Only a little part of the harbor area has electricity as of Monday morning. Slowly, it's getting fixed and power's being turned on in other areas of town. The area by the Point still has no power or running water. I don't even want to imagine how it is for the little communities far from here where the hurricane blasted them as well.
(Note: two children died when their house was taken by a mudslide nearby, and one 56-year-old woman passed away when the wind flipped her car.)
Saturday morning was really sad and awful to see all kinds of people who had lost everything the night before. Hundreds of trees had fallen all over the town. Dogs were running like crazy, as if they were wild dogs on the streets. All streets were still flooded. I can't even imagine how they were when the rain was at its strongest point on Friday night.
Lifeguards were the first to evaluate all the damage by the beach. All eight towers were completely smashed. At the harbor, there was not a single boat in the water. All boats had to be taken out. Ironically, a restaurant called the Split Coconut was split in half by the only palm tree that fell down in the entire area.
Now there's been lots of helicopters flying the area trying to evaluate all damage in the region and federal resources should be coming in shortly. I feel really bad for the people that lost everything.
The last big hurricane to make landfall here was Pauline in 1997, with winds of 109 mph, killing at least 230 people along the Pacific coast.
Luckily, other surf areas in southern Mexico fared better than Puerto. "In Salina Cruz, so far everything is good," says local surf tour operator Cesar Ramierez. "Lots of rain for five hours on Friday and showers on Saturday and Sunday, but everything is OK."
The Pacific Ocean hurricane season began on May 15 and ends on Nov. 30. Stay tuned to Surfline's Hurricanetrak for up-to-the-minute info on hurricanes around the world.
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MoFRENZ 06/18/2012 04:57 PM
Wow...Gnarley. Im there in 2 weeks. Hope it's all or at least allmost all good by then.
steve rogers 06/18/2012 04:18 PM * PREMIUM MEMBER - Real Name
bummer,,,,
Charles Williams 06/18/2012 03:23 PM
Looks bad but nothing like Paulina in 97, these bring a community together , condolences to those who lost the homes and bless those that help their neighbors. Suerate
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