The director of Economic Development, Gladis Tun Pech, stated that the salespersons that until this Monday were found working in booths in the park Benito Juárez because they had not occupied their positions in the new building at Plaza del Sol because they owed totals from different months for electricity, but they have arrived at a “convenio” (agreement) with the CFE (Federal Electric Commission), for which now they can pass to occupy such positions without any problem.
she emphasized that thanks to these “covenios” that were independent between the CFE and tenants, is that these now will be able to pass to their establishments, since in brevity they will include electric power, for which it will no longer be considered to utilize the police as was feared to oust them of the park Benito Juárez in an interim of a week.
For those who remember the old flea market, nearly hidden behind the old buildings that housed some government offices and shops, this will be a pleasant surprise. It is the new centerpiece of the main plaza, with a new Bancomer (bank) building as it's "anchor" the block long building and new parking areas add significantly to the appearance and functionality of this center of commerce.
Visit Cozumel's new main square, there is a lot of new stuff there even for the seasoned Cozumel visitors.
For more than 17 months, the possibility that Donald Trump planning a development in the northeastern zone of Cozumel and change its wild nature to build another property, adding to his vast real estate empire, worried and mobilized the community of Cozumel, nevertheless, the news managed to break the environment of the island and the state, and is commented still in spaces of the national press, where the actions of the former mayor Gustavo Ortega and his appointment in the Fonatur is questioned after this scandal.
In the local environment there was doubt about the truth of the information that Por Esto! of Quintana Roo began to publish before about the intentions of the magnate, sheltered by the previous municipal government.
The following one is the opinion on the matter published by the influential column "Privileged Information" that is published in the pages of CNN-Mexico and literally says: "Cozumel: Donald Trump or the Ecology.
After almost 17 months of polemics, the American real estate magnate, Donald Trump briefly broke the silence on his project of investment in Cozumel for $300 million dollars to build a Resort and a marina of great luxury that would be "an island inside the island".
Almost since it was announced, in January of 2007, the project 'Trump' caused polemics. In those days, the then mayor Ortega Joaquín traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to present various investors the project of Cozumel, along with representatives of Trump and executives of the business EDSA (responsible for the construction of developments as The Palm Tree, in Dubai; the project Atlantis in Bahamas; and Cap Gray, in Dominican Republic).
The news caused the ire of the ecologist group, Sky, Land and Sea (Citymar), that is directed by Guadalupe Álvarez Chulim.
The reason? The Resort of Trump would be located to the northeast of the island, a zone of mangrove swamps and reefs environmentally protected by the Plan of Local Ecological Code (POEL) and where –of course—was not permitted the construction of hotels neither real estate developments.
The lands where the Trump development would be belonged the Yucatan businessman Fernando Barbachano -grandfather of Hans Thies Barbachano, that showed off as the owner of Chichén Itzá after its recognition as one of the Wonders of the World and the former owner of the extinct Aero Maya-, who until his death in 2006 decided to leave those lands without developing and trusted its care to the municipality.
Nevertheless, the previous councilman of Cozumel, Gustavo Ortega Joaquín, impelled in "to change the face" of this Caribbean island, decided to relax the environmental norms by means of a new Plan of Local Ecological Code, under the argument to permit the attraction of investment capital.
For Ortega Joaquín, it cost him a year to change the POEL, but he obtained it. And it paid the price: Last April 9, during his last report of government he was received by shouts of "treacherous", days later he left the charge, but even so the grace already had been consummate: the new ecological code tied the hands of his successor, the new PRI mayor, Juan Carlos González, whose arrival revived the theme at the beginning of May, therefore the new mayor, although he denied to know the details proposed by Trump, indicated that he would use the media within his reach to defend of any damage to the local ecology.
Perhaps because of this, the organization Trump decided to break the silence and to clarify that "for now", the project is suspended.
The information stems from a blog of Cozumel: (
www.thisiscozumel.com) the spokesman of Trump Organization, Selma Langer, confirmed that they were 'seeking a project in Cozumel, but the project is not being pursued at this time': And refused to give more details.
To be certain this, Trump would have lost a Resort, Cozumel the 100% of the protection for its mangrove swamps, ¿and the former mayor. ..?
Oh, therefore Gustavo Ortega Joaquín has just taken possession last May 16 as new head of National Fund of Promotion to the Tourism (Fonatur) for Cancun.
There it will be asked of the holder of Fonatur, Miguel Gómez Mont, what talents he took into account to select his new collaborator in Cancun".
The original version can be found in:
http://www.cnnexpansion.com/columnas/informacion-privilegiad / archive/2008/05/20/el-dilema-trump (You will probably have to cut and paste the URL complete for the CNN-Mexico articles)
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 Another rendering of Marina Fonatur/Marina Cozumel
Intending to place the foundation stone, to some days before ending the city government of Cozumel, the administration of Gustavo Ortega emitted the permissions of construction of “Marina Fonatur" to a side of the current Caleta; in spite of the fact that the Plan of Territorial Ecological Code, POET, of the island, still in force and the plan of management of the National Marine Park of Cozumel, prohibit the construction of navies and the modification in any form of the coastal rock.
When they began with the construction work of the "Marina Fonatur" in the last days of March, three codes were violated at least: the POET, the plan of management of the Marine Park and the General Law of wildlife.
The POET, or Plan of Territorial Ecological Code of the island of Cozumel, is a law that prohibits several things the previous municipal government did not agree with, among them the protection to the northeastern zone that they tried to deliver to Donald Trump and the construction of the marinas of the "government of change" that planned when less three of these installations.
This marina was unique one that was summarized because the government of Gustavo Ortega sold the idea to Fonatur with the argument that excavating an artificial navy of large dimensions, the fund would manage to appreciate a "market" of real property of the institution that in any other way would not have any value.
Besides, the movement would permit alternative places to send the boatmen of Cozumel that for decades had sheltered its launches in the Caleta, dis-occupying thus that space and delivering it to the neighboring Hotel El Presidente that demands rights on it.
To do reality all this, the municipality of then first acquired the legal property of the Cove by means of the creation of the Sustainable Integral Coastal Administration, ACIS, company by means of the one that then they would be delivered it upon mentioning hotel.
Then the project with the Fonatur was prompted and tried the change of the law by means of the modification of the POET and its replacement by a new plan a lot more "flexible" and to way, this call POEL, that although devised, discussed and imposed, not yet gone into effect because itself has not been published in the official newspaper of the state.
The code of the Marine Park and the Law of wildlife that protects to the mangrove swamps, simply they were ignored, in spite of the opinions against the work on the part of the direction of the park in that time.
Nevertheless, so much the POET as the plan of management of the park, prohibit explicitly the construction of navies and artificial beaches in that zone, besides prohibiting the excavations of the type that are required to create the navy because is a matter of an area of rivers and subterranean caverns, part of the phreatic system of the drinking water of the island.
Nevertheless, and in spite of all these legal problems, the works began the last days of March and for April 2, a smiling Gustavo Ortega placed the foundation stone of the marina along with his current boss, the director of the Fonatur, Miguel Gómez Mont.
Although such work be millionaire and the federal government he prompt it, the certain thing is that breaks the laws in force and that the City Hall of Ortega did not have the faculty to extend him the permissions of construction, action that was illegal because the authorities exist exactly to cause to be worth the law, not to ignore it and to break it.
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 Rendering: Ferry Pier Shaddowed In
The proposal exists for a new pier that the API plans in the zone of Caletita, being not only a pier for ferries but to become a "multimodal" pier in which also it will be possible to receive the federal routes of passengers ferries between the island and Playa del Carmen; this pier would be the main point of entrance to the island and would connect with the planned new center of Cozumel.
Although not yet determined at the official level, the API considers the possibility to modify the project of the new pier of loads, and to become a project of a more functional and ambitious terminal.
The form would be to construct a "multimodal pier", that is to say, that can be utilized for various types of embarkations and not only by ships and ferries of load, as was considered at the beginning.
This change that in question of infrastructure is subtle, so that no large modifications to the project have to be done and it would be able to have large benefits for the city of San Miguel of Cozumel, having a point of arrival of the ships of passengers that was more near the housing zones of the island. This would do more agile the process to enter and to leave the island for the Cozumeleños and would be able to end severe road conflicts, improving thus the image that is given to tourism.
Likewise, it would be able to utilize more the fiscal spring San Miguel to receive way cruiser tourists’ via tenders without conglomerations and confusions among the people that goes to the federal route, and the ones that go to the "floating hotels".
The idea, that would be able to bring multiple benefits besides those already described, is being considered among the more senior officials of the API and the government of the state.
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The Governor of Quintana Roo, Félix Arturo González Canto, declared to the press, that the project to build the pier for Shuttles at Caletita, is in force, and that are in the best disposition to begin quickly once given the green light they lack only to finish, diverse studies of environmental impact.
Lighthouse at Caletita He made clear that they will comply with the Mexican laws, with all the respective environmental & regulatory nature; one of the objectives of the state is to be the example for the protection of the flora and fauna of the island, and of the state of Quintana Roo.
The State Executive, reported that it is expected that the project, become reality next year, but that not yet do they have an approximate date for the inauguration, although he assured that this objective will not be thrown in a broken bag, and is in the agenda of the government. Therefore he assured, that the "Island of the Swallows", will include this project.
The Governor of the State, recognized that the economic activity of this tropical island has grown, and that therefore the need to improve the harbor installations was created, since the current pier begins to be insufficient for the growing economic dynamism of this Mexican island.
COZUMEL, 9 of June. - The project to make multimodal the future soft of ferries of the island in the zone of Caletita, would be reconciled with the new plan director of the urban development of the island, which contemplates to move the urban center of Cozumel of its present location in the “heart” of the tourist zone, towards the south-east part of the city, where all the offices of government will settle down in the medium term, including a new Municipal Palace and the majority of the new colonies will be concentrated that is planned to establish in the island, since towards that zone are the last territorial reserves of I found legal.
The plan to move the urban center of Cozumel to the zone south-orients of the city is content in the call Partial Plan 4, part of the new PDU or Plan of Urban Development of the island, already approved.
One is to take the public offices, including soothes of the municipal government, to that zone of the city, which extends by all the back part of the present urban spot and crosses from the Juárez avenue to the avenue Claudius Anduze Song, better well-known like the avenue of the ferry.
Besides the public offices, in that area the majority of the businesses would also settle down that at the moment are in center and little or nothing must what see with the tourist activity, main vocation of the zone.
Also, in the medium term, most of the houses that are planned to construct in the island, as well as new supermarkets and until a sport city, would be being been constructing towards that course of the city, that is what it is of I found legal, that is to say, of the land that is destined to become urban La Mancha of Cozumel being considered its potential growth.
This condition gives felt major him to the proposal of which projected the new wharf of ferries, finally can be a multimodal wharf that becomes the main marine entrance of the island, since of his geographic situation, it would be in favor much more accessible for the residents that wish to be transported towards and from the island, that would be more near the new urban center and of the present residential zones more populated with Cozumel.
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Enough water for 8 days. I would have 8, 5 gallon jugs for two people so I wouldn't have to be out grubbling around in flooded streets for water a few days after a bad storm.
Enough food for 5 days. You can get more food after the storm. They never completely ran out. Just enough for a long storm and a day or two after during which time you'll also be devouring the contents of your fridge as fast as you can.
Wind up radio will be no use. The stations go off and you can't get the distant ones unless you've got a booster and that has to be stuck outside the house.However, juice up your laptop battery. Power will go out but you might not lose phone/internet and then you can go on line judiciously and watch wunderground.com and follow the progress of the storm. That happened during Emily.
Juice up your cellphone and put some money in it. If the towers don't topple and the phone lines do, this could come in handy.
CASH--plenty of it. We had nearly $2000 US in cash before Wilma which seemed excessive to me. But we used every bit of it paying for repairs after the storm that had to be done to guarantee the safety of our house and things like our generator. (We completely lost our very large front gate, for example. And the banks didn't open for 10 days. That one really suprised me.
Gasoline--gas up your car and put it somewhere where telephone poles and trees are unlikely to fall on it and where it is unlikely to flood.
Consider purchasing a generator. We went through two lesser storms with 4 and 5 days of power outtage without a generator but finally spent the $1000 US to get a good one from the Honda dealership here a few weeks before Emily. We're really really glad we spent that money. We only ran it about 4-6 hours a day but that was enough so we could cook dinner at night and hang around a bit and also keep food in the fridge or freezer somewhat cold. It made all the difference. However, if you have a generator, also invest in minimum 2 preferable 4 of those larger gas containers. Gas was rationed for 10 days or more after Wilma and you had to wait in line for hours every day just to get a very small amount and if you didn't have a car or other motorized vehicle, they would give you no gas. (Our car broke right before Wilma and we couldn't get gas. Came within 2 gallons of running out before the electric came back.)
A rubber mallet best or hammer at the least to get you out of the house if your wood doors swell during the storm.
Floor whisks for pushing out water and buckets for catching leaks. Rain gets in just about anywhere when it's blowing that hard.
Don't feed your animals for 12 or more hours before the storm is to hit and severely limit water as well.
if possible pick a spot to weather the storm which can be easily opened up for a short time if the eye passes over. That way you can let your animals out during that period.
Candles work well instead of flashlights if you're in a large enough space that the candlelight doesn't make the room too hot. I would advise bringiing them from the states. The ones they sell here are inferior. They gutter and bend. They MELT and distend. It's kind of bizarre. Matches or a charcoal lighter too, of course and some candle holders are an awfully good thing to have.
Fill numerous large buckets with tap water and leave in the shower for use rinsing dishes and flushing the toilet.
If you can, fill your freezer and fridge with water jugs prior to the storm to freeze them. This will act as a heat sink and keep the food cold in your fridge.
A rubber hose for siphoning fuel out of your car to run the generator.
I second Mark's comment about plugging the anchor holes, also. If they are threaded, you'll really want to protect the threads against corrosion. Maybe a little grease and a bolt would be the best thing.
PS great idea about the checklist, especially as June approaches...
I also filled my washing machine with water and the bath tub....cut your trees way back, it saved ours.
Hurricane Preparation List
2-3 days before:
? Fill gas in car and/or moto
? Fill tank of gas for the house, have a backup filled too
? Fill cistern
? Buy canned food, milk, eggs, candles, matches, batteries, bleach, pet food, toiletries, ice
1-2 days before
? Clean garden, patio and porch. Cut grass
? Secure all outdoor furniture and plants
? Trim branches and cut down coconuts, oranges, limes, etc (they are potential flying objects)
? Secure young plants and trees
? Put wood or hurricane shuttlers on Windows
? Put masking tape on expones Windows
? Secure tinaco on roof with rope and take the top off (if cement?yes, they Hill fly off)
? Wash clothes
? Fill buckets, pots and bottles with tap water
? Cook the food that won?t last without refrigeration
? Buy plenty of purified water
? Buy cell phone credit
? Charge all rechargeable batteries
Day of Storm
? Charge cell phones
? Clean house and porch of dust and potencial flying objects
? Fill bathtub
? Fill tinaco and cistern again
? Close and secure all Windows, leaving a few open for air passage?
? Get out all candles, flashlights, matches or lighters, emergency radio (we heard all reports from chetumal during all of Wilma)
? Buy more ice and fill icechests
? Raise the temp of the fridge so all is as cold as possible
? Move furniture from areas that can get wet
? Check on neighbors to see if needing help
? Desconnect computer (and make back-up of HD) and other electrical appliances
Energy bars (enough for several days), maybe even chocolate
Non-perishable foodstuffs, preferably that can be eaten out of the can/jar
Water (enough for you and for any animals for several days)
Medications (you and animals)
Personal hygiene items (and for animals - disposable litter trays, paper to rip up if you dog would use it in an emergency)
Batteries for lamps, radios, etc
A basic tool kit
A good knife combo (leatherman, swiss army type)
Wind up radio, wind-uplight
Shortwave radio
At least one good book, or trashy magazine
Fire extinguisher
Make sure important documents, passports, etc. are in a safe place and that you could get to them immediately, if need be and you had to run
Carriers for small animals
A change of clothes, and comfortable shoes,
Blankets
A first-aid kit
Some money (in small denominations)
Paper and pencils (better than pens which may run out or dry out over time)
Check with elderly or sick neighbours that they are ok and have supplies too
Bug spray (my mania)
It's probably best if you can keep as many of these things as practical in one place, in a "grab bag", preferably, or a shopping car, for example, that you keep maintained and stocked, so that you can leave in as short a time as possible, should you have to.
Stay calm. You are in a house built of ROCK reinforced with rebar. You're not going to die. They don't have storm surge here. The channel is very deep so waves don't have a chance to get a looong looong momentum going before they build up and hit shore as is the case with so much of the US Gulf coast and parts of Florida.
But you will be tired afterwards and you will be living in camping conditions for awhile after the storm so prepare yourself mentally for that.
All told it's better to be here during the storm if you have a house than away from the island provided you're prepared. That way you can make the repairs that need to be made right away or do makeshift kludges. If you are off island, it could be a week or more before you can get back.
| They install Hurricane Committee |  |  |  |
| Saturday, 07 of June of 2008 |
* Social authorities, organizations and Armed Forces comprise of the Specialized Operative Hurricane Committee 2008 * is counted on 12 shelters for the community, in case of being necessary evacuation * 15 storms, eight hurricanes, four intense ones, but it cannot know if some will affect the island By Emmanuel May COZUMEL, 6 of June. - With the participation of diverse instances, like the policemen, the Armed Forces and groups of the society, the installation of the Specialized Operative Hurricane Committee was carried out, and so it will stay informed to the community on the details in this season and the meteors will be monitored that could hit to the island, in order to safeguard the integrity of the population in the present season. Personnel of Civil defense informed that with the installation of the Specialized Operative Hurricane Committee he fundamentally looks for to study the details in the season of hurricanes that he initiated first of June, at the same time as envelope inquired which was the season of wild fires, one of most active in the island, since the several CONATO, forest fires of weeds were had and, some excellent ones, but thanks to the intervention of the personnel of Firemen they could be controlled and go out completely, after an arduous work of several hours of “tragafuego”. In such event they were present municipal authorities, the state director of Civil defense, Luis Carlos Rodriguez Today, and members of the same committee, emphasizing the participation of the Armed Forces. Also they appeared what they will be the activities of the season of hurricanes and procedures to follow before, during and after a meteor of any category, at the same time as one inquired that they are counted on 12 shelters for the community in case of to be necessary the evacuation of people of some vulnerable zones. Committee specialized took protest, and so it formally initiated his activities in the season of hurricanes 2008, one of which it foretells will be of intense, every time it is contemplated that there will be 15 storms, of which eight hurricanes, and these four of categories between 3 and 5, that is possibly as powerful ones as the hurricane “Wilma” that whipped the island of the wanderers in 2005. |
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Only six cases of dengue fever have been presented in the island of Cozumel. Even when the number is not alarming, the epidemiologist of the General Hospital of the island Roberto Lozano declared that they continue monitoring the zones where there have been presented the cases and the program is maintained in the colonies to avoid that the number of sick people increments.
In interview, the medical epidemiologist of the health center of this island Roberto Lozano declared that in the first 12 weeks of this year alone there are reported in the island of Cozumel 6 cases of dengue fever of which 2 are hemorrhagic. He indicated that this often is because the people are not helping with the programs of clean patios or of descacharrización.
He mentioned that the population does not always allow the brigade members to pass and battle the proliferation of the transmitting mosquito of dengue fever and malaria. He indicated that many people are not completely supporting, said that do not they clean its patios, do not they eliminate red foci where the mosquitoes can reproduce itself and above all said that many people has not removed their junk from their patios.
It added that this should be a call of attention to the community, due to the lack of cooperation of many neighborhoods, there have been given in the island already 6 cases of fever of which 2 are hemorrhagic. He added that fortunately the cases have been caught in time and said that nobody has died by having this illness; but that this is a delicate matter in which all the citizenship should support and to avoid that more cases be given.
He added that the community must maintain clean its patios, should eliminate deposits of stagnant rainwater, owes of Clorox their “tinacos” (water storage on roofs) and their wells in order to that this problem not continue in growth. He said that the cases of fever is giving chiefly in youths, children and includes some adults, for which he suggested to the population they support the works of this campaign against the fever.
Finally, he said that also they are fumigating in the peripheries of the island and to help those who live in these zones so that they be free of the fever transmitting mosquito. Besides, he commented that colony by colony they are fumigating and invited the people that when the small trucks are spraying to leave open their windows so that the product penetrates in all corners and they kill the transmitting mosquitoes of the fever.
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Mexico isn’t feeling the U. S. economic slump
Stocks, exports, peso and GDP are up
By Marla Dickerson - LOS ANGELES TIMES
Updated: 06/01/08 6:49 AM
MEXICO CITY — A sizzling stock market. A strengthening peso. Good economic growth. Someone forgot to tell Mexico that the United States has been flirting with recession.
“Mexico . . . is not immune” to what’s happening north of the border, said Gray Newman, chief Latin American economist for Morgan Stanley in New York. But, “it’s not suffering the kind of downturn that everyone was expecting with weakness in the U. S.”
Mexico’s gross domestic product expanded at an annualized rate of 2.6 percent in the first three months of the year compared to the same period a year earlier, according to government figures.
But there was statistical noise in the first-quarter numbers: Adoption of the new international standard for calculating gross domestic product, and an early Easter week holiday, which resulted in fewer working days compared to the first three months of last year. Adjusting for those factors, first-quarter GDP growth was a solid 3.7 percent, according to the government.
Meanwhile, U. S. gross domestic product rose just 0.9 percent in the first quarter.
Mexico is the world’s 14th largest economy, according to the latest statistics available from the World Bank, with a GDP of $839.2 billion in 2006.
Bound to the United States by history, geography, immigration, trade and investment, Mexico’s fortunes have long been linked to those of its northern neighbor. The U. S. housing industry, for example, which employs one in five Hispanic immigrants, is in a slump, resulting in a marked slowdown of remittances sent to Mexico. A prolonged U. S. downturn would undoubtedly hit Mexico hard.
Still, the nation’s economy is holding up well. The Mexican bolsa (stock) index is up 14.5 percent so far this year. The peso is strong: At the first of the year, $1 could buy nearly 10.9 pesos; now $1 buys a little over 10.3 pesos.
One factor is that much of the world economy is growing despite the U. S. slowdown. While Mexico still ships about 80 percent of its exports to the United States, its farmers and manufacturers are looking for new customers in Asia, Europe and the rest of Latin America.
That diversification is paying off. During the first quarter, Mexican exports to the U. S. grew slightly more than 16 percent, while shipments to the rest of the world grew at twice that pace, 32 percent. Exports to Europe grew by 56 percent.
The trend can be seen in Volkswagen de Mexico, the Mexican division of the German automaker, which manufactures Beetles and Jettas at a sprawling facility in Puebla, Mexico. Through the first four months of the year, VW’s Mexican exports totaled 123,000 vehicles, up 29 percent from the same period a year ago, said spokesman Thomas Karig.
The Puebla plant recently began manufacturing a new fuel-efficient station wagon, the Jetta SportWagen, which is proving a hot seller in Europe, Karig said. Exports to Brazil and Argentina are strong as well.
The Mexican government’s decision to enter into free-trade agreements with a number of nations has made Mexico an attractive place for Volkswagen to build cars, Karig said.
“We can export our cars very competitively from Mexico to these other markets,” he said.
Other automakers are posting good numbers as well. Through the first four months of the year, vehicle exports from Mexico are up 18.5 percent over the same period a year ago, according to the Mexican Automotive Industry Association.
One of the strongest performers has been General Motors. Mexico’s largest automaker exported 127,625 vehicles in the first four months of the year, up nearly 38 percent over 2007, the association says.
Part of that jump reflects production of a new model, the Saturn VUE, at GM’s Saltillo, Mexico, plant. The crossover sport utility vehicle gets better gas mileage than traditional full-size SUVs, according to GM spokesman Mauricio Kuri.
And Ford Motor Co. announced Friday that it plans to build its new Fiesta subcompact at a factory near Mexico City for sale in the U. S.
The plant now makes trucks for the Mexican market. The company plans to import trucks from the U. S. in the future to free factory capacity for the new small cars.
Ford also said Friday that it plans a new diesel engine line at its at Chihuahua Engine Plant and a new joint venture transmission plant with Getrag in Guanajuato.
Overall, Ford and its parts suppliers will invest $3 billion in Mexico as part of the Fiesta project, Ford said. About 4,500 Ford jobs should be created at the plants, the company said.
As it loses more manufacturing jobs to China, Mexico has focused its energies on the automotive industry.
“We want Mexico to be an automotive country, one that is competitive and with the most advantages so that the worldwide automotive industry will establish itself here,” President Felipe Calderon said.
Skyrocketing crude prices might be pinching U. S. drivers, but they’ve meant record oil revenue for Mexico, the world’s sixth-largest oil producer. The petroleum windfall is bankrolling a slew of government spending and investment, which is helping to keep the economy rolling.
Total public spending increased 9.5 percent in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year.
Calderon plans to invest about $250 billion in roads, airports and other infrastructure during his six-year term, which ends in 2012.
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Initiating Friday night, the Sacred Mayan Crossing, the oarsmen will leave from the coast toward Cozumel at six in the morning on Saturday 31 of May to arrive that same day to the island at the beach Caletita.
This event that is carried out for second consecutive year is supposed to stimulate tourism that likes to be in contact with the culture and the traditions of the old Mexico and will be transmitted by various international media. During all the night of May 30 the guests will participate in rites and petitions to Ixchel to expect the first ray of the sun and to say good-bye the canoeists that will row to Cozumel from Xcaret.
At nightfall they will offer tributes and will collect the message of the goddess that lives in the island to return to mainland and to share the plans of good fortune for all the ones that respond to listen to them in Playa del Carmen.
The trip will be of 28 kilometers, seven to eight hours of crossing, to free oar just as the Mayans in the 11th century to the XVI did it in which more than just a spectacle, this is considered a representation, more or less, of the exact events.
500 years ago the Maya carried out a trip from Polé (today Xcaret) bound for Cuzamil (today Cozumel) in the middle of the water of the sea to venerate to the goddess of the fertility, love and of the moon, Ixchel, and thus to be able to deliver their petitions and to receive the predictions of the deity.
They will a participation of five canoes of a single piece, elaborate of tree plus 25 replicas of fiberglass so that around 300 people can be part of the crew. It expects the arrival to Cozumel on Saturday after the half a day in the beach Caletita, where the representation of a pre-Hispanic open-air market will be mounted, as the island was also an important commercial port of the Maya.
Then, at night of the same Saturday, from the eight at night in the park Chankanaab, the consultation to the oracle will be carried out, just as the Maya did it, to return to the coast at six in the morning of June first (Dia del Marinaro or Day of the Fisherman).
The activities are open to the public in general and they will be with free, only being requested the assistants to dress in white color and if possible with typical suit of the peninsula to maintain the environment of the representation.
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| Friday, 30 of May of 2008 |
* The tropical storm “Soul” affects in the coasts of Central America and the state of Chiapas * Leg today, is expected more heavy showers By Antonio Criminal COZUMEL, 29 of May. - And the encharcamientos and the inevitable annoyances for the transit, this Thursday well was received in Cozumel the one Yet that can be considered like the first strong heavy shower of the season that, although refreshed the island, is an announcement than it is about to come, because rains of this Thursday are associated with the presence of the first tropical storm of the season. The tropical storm “Soul” is affecting Central America directly and the coasts of the State of Chiapas, their associate cloud bands are those that brought rain to east Cozumel Thursday and, according to the reports of the climate, also will bring Friday. In which it is possible to be considered like the first heavy shower of importance of the season of rains, the streets that always have presented/displayed encharcamiento problems, and that each administration are object of new repairs, returned to be flooded. In Cozumel they throughout fell showers the day and a strong heavy shower near the one and average one of afternoon that agreed with the movement in the outskirts of the schools and the presence of tourism of cruises in the zone center and the wharves of the city. Rain disturbed by lapses the transit in the city, but generally it was welcome by the islanders, since this year has been especially warm and the season of rains had been delayed once again. Habitually it initiated to rain now in the region during the first fortnight of May and, is practically until the month end when greater temperature and drier vegetation appear the first heavy showers, causing, wild fire ingredients. For this Friday intense rains from noon are foretold and skies dimmed during all the day, the temperatures will go of the 27 to the 29 degrees and the minim will be of 24. |
COZUMEL, 24 of May. - They will be the 15 tropical revolving storms that are expected for the season 2008, which initiates officially within one week. The families of the region must begin to prepare themselves before the eventuality of a meteor and to follow the recommendations of the organisms of Civil defense.
Arthur, Dolly, Gustav, Josephine, Frame, Dove, Teddy, Bertha, Edouard, Hanna, Kyle, Nana, René, Vicky, Cristóbal, Fay, Iko, Lili, Omar, Sally, and finally, Wilfred; they are the names proposed for the hurricanes that could be formed in this season.
As it is known, the proposed names do not mean that they are going to happen so many hurricanes, because the names are 21, but only inform into the names that would occur them in case of happening.
The unique occasion in which all those names proposed for a single year were used was in 2005, the last one of them, that finished the list, was the powerful “Wilma” that whipped the north of Quintana Roo and to Cozumel and Cancún very especially, in October of the 2005.
Taking into account historical data from the region and the present values from the atmospheric conditions, the experts of the hurricane center of Miami and of the National Meteorological Service of Mexico foretell like possible 15 storms for the season that goes of first of June to the 30 of November.
Of these, one hopes that four can be developed less until being hurricanes of category three or in the Saffir-Simpson scale that has five categories, whereas other four could exceed category 3 and to be therefore more intense and dangerous.
The seven remaining systems would be tropical storms, that although less forts concerning winds, also can cause great damages due to floods by the great amount of rain accompanies that them.
All the community must stay to the slope of the information of the climate in the region these next six months and prepare basic questions like a plan of contingency relative and a pantry that reaches to feed all by five days at least.
Also, they are due to locate to the refuges and shelters near its address and to find out the recommendations of the authorities of Civil defense.
This was an article that appeared in TravelNotes:
from industry news (travel weekly):
"...Mexico in June will begin reimbursing the value-added tax charged on purchases made at stores and businesses throughout the country to tourists who arrive by air and cruise ship. Mexico's Ministry of Tourism said in a statement that starting in June tourists will be able to use kiosks at five major airports -- Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta -- to reclaim the 15% VAT they've paid on goods totaling at least $115 (1,200 Mexican pesos). In order to qualify for the refund, the purchases must have been made at approved stores and businesses with credit cards or debit cards issued outside of Mexico, or in cash. Tourists must present their passports when making their purchases and obtain a receipt and an official refund form from the approved merchant. The tax credit will apply to shopping, not to purchases on meals and lodging. Visitors will be able to get half of the VAT in Mexican pesos, up to a maximum of $955 (10,000 Mexican pesos). The rest will be credited electronically to visitors' credit cards or bank accounts within 40 days. Starting in 2009, the program will be phased in at other major airports as well as at cruise ports..."