US House Democrat Free Trade Working Group Meets with AMLO
By RICARDO CASTILLO … It’d seem that at the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives, Thanksgiving is the make-or-break deadline for approving the USMCA…
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2020 Budget in Process of Approval
By RICARDO CASTILLO Now that the annual hoopla of Mexican Independence celebrations is over, the nation will move on with one of the most important issues at hand, which is getting from Congress the approval of the 2020 Economic Package that will go into operation next Dec. 1. The package was delivered to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) on
Read morePolitical Bombshell Rocks Baja California
By RICARDO CASTILLO On Monday, July 8, the Baja California state assembly approved by a majority vote a bill to extend the governance period of newly elected Governor Jaime Bonilla Valdez from two to five years. Bonilla Valdez was elected last June 2 to govern for two years. Normally, Baja governors are elected to govern for six years. Elections
Read moreWill Herrera Fit the Mold of AMLO’s Expectations?
By RICARDO CASTILLO Definitely the outstanding image in Mexico for the week July 8-12 was the stone-cold face of Arturo Herrera Gutiérrez as President Andrés Manuel López Obrador appointed him the government’s new finance secretary. Herrera Gutiérrez looked as if he was attending his own funeral. The fact is that a lot of political pundits noticed the grave gesture, that
Read moreThe Return of Los Polkos
By RICARDO CASTILLO Twice in the past week, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has mentioned the historically obscure existence of a civilian paramilitary group known as Los Polkos. “Probably many don’t even know who they are,” AMLO said during one of his early morning press conferences, “but it surely seems they’re back.” The mention of Los Polkos
Read moreAMLO Lovers and AMLO Haters
By RICARDO CASTILLO Notwithstanding that he will have completed six months in office come June 1, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) continues to deliver defensive speeches. It is important to remember that during his campaign leading up to his overwhelming July 1 victory, there were countless vicious campaigns against AMLO, accusing him of being the next Hugo Chávez
Read moreAMLO’s Republican Austerity Shakes Down the Press
By RICARDO CASTILLO How the press views the Mexican presidency has definitely changed in more than few ways since Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) was sworn into office last December. To begin with, AMLO established from the very beginning of his term his Monday-through-Friday press conferences, which start at 7 a.m. and end when they’re over, ranging in length from
Read moreThree Journalists Take on AMLO for “Supporting” Maduro
By RICARDO CASTILLO How well are relations between Mexico and the United States doing? Or to be blunt about it, how are relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)? According to a clique of prophets of doom that gather every Wednesday night in a Mexican commentary program called “Tercer Grado” (“Third Degree”) on
Read moreHasta la Vista, Baby!
By RICARDO CASTILLO Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is leaving office with a bang. Today, Friday, Nov. 30, he is in Buenos Aires meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sign the would-be final draft of the new North American Free Trade Agreement, or whatever it is called nowadays. (I say would-be because on
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