BNA

Mexicana de Aviación Cierra 8 Rutas: ¿Dónde Está Gastón Azcárraga, su Exdueño?

La aerolínea Mexicana de Aviación, administrada por el Ejército, ha anunciado que dejará de operar en 8 rutas a partir del 6 de enero, lo que kratrae a la memoria el resurgimiento y caída de esta emblemática compañía, así como el controvertido papel de su exdirector general, Gastón Azcárraga Andrade.

El 28 de agosto de 2010, la aerolínea suspendió todas sus operaciones después de décadas de dificultades financieras. Azcárraga Andrade, entonces al frente de Mexicana, fue acusado de malos manejos financieros que desembocaron en la bancarrota de la empresa, antes considerada la más importante de América Latina. Antes de su quiebra, en 2005, el expresidente Vicente Fox había vendido la aerolínea a Grupo Posadas, propiedad de Azcárraga.

En un vano intento por salvar la empresa, Mexicana entró en concurso mercantil en 2010. Sin embargo, en 2014, la jueza Edith Alarcón decretó la quiebra de la aerolínea, lo que generó protestas entre extrabajadores y jubilados que aún no habían recibido sus liquidaciones.

Azcárraga, tras la quiebra de Mexicana, se exilió en Estados Unidos para evitar su procesamiento judicial y las órdenes de aprehensión en su contra. Antes de esto, en 2012, había dejado la presidencia de Grupo Posadas y vendido sus acciones. Aunque las órdenes de búsqueda y captura contra él fueron retiradas al final del gobierno de Peña Nieto, sindicalistas han intentado-reactivar-las sin éxito.

En la actualidad, tras un año de operaciones, Mexicana de Aviación ha anunciado el cierre de las rutas a Acapulco, Campeche, Guadalajara, Ixtapa, Nuevo Laredo, Puerto Vallarta, Uruapan y Villahermosa, sin dar detalles sobre el cese de operaciones.

La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum atribuyó la suspensión de rutas a una "revisión estratégica" y descartó problemas para la compañía pública, indicando que esta semana se presentará el "Plan Maestro" de Mexicana.

Mexico’s President Announces Commencement of Tren Interurbano Project in April

Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, has announced that the construction of the Tren Interurbano Buenavista-AIFA-Pachuca will begin in April during her visit to the state of Hidalgo. The project aims to enhance connectivity between Hidalgo, Mexico City, and the rest of the country.

Enhancing Connections and Supporting Agriculture

President Sheinbaum also unveiled a new social program for the state, "Cosechando Soberanía," in response to agrarian protests. Farmers from the Altiplano region had demonstrated due to the delayed payment of catastrophic insurance by the federal Secretariat of Agriculture. The president acknowledged their plight and assured them of support to mitigate the losses incurred in 2023 due to drought.

Empowering Women and Seniors with a Constitutional Right

The President delivered tarjetas to beneficiaries of two welfare programs, granting pensions to women and adults. She emphasized that these initiatives were a constitutional right and a long-overdue debt to Mexican women.

Governor Julio Menchaca Salazar expressed his gratitude, stating that the visit and resource distribution recommit the federal government to Hidalgo’s residents. The local government has allocated MXN 3,618 million to 216 social programs in the state.

SEMAR Lieutenant Dismisses NYT‘s Fentanyl Production Report

In a surprise announcement, Lieutenant Juana Peñaloza Ibarra of the Mexican Navy (SEMAR) has dismissed a recent report by The New York Times (NYT) on the production of fentanyl in clandestine labs in Culiacán, Sinaloa. The lieutenant, presented as a chemical analyst specializing in precursors, was joined by IMSS-Bienestar Director General Alejandro Svarch during a press conference hosted by President Claudia Sheinbaum. Together, they argued that the NYT report lacked credibility.

In her statement, Lieutenant Peñaloza highlighted several inconsistencies in the NYT article, "Thus is a Fentanyl Lab of the Sinaloa Cartel," questioning the authenticity of the shown process. She noted that the article did not mention or display key precursors required for synthesizing fentanyl, such as 4ANPP, aniline, and cloruro de propionilo. Instead, it focused on common chemicals like sodium hydroxide and acetone.

The lieutenant also pointed out the lack of necessary protective equipment used in the videotaped process. She emphasized that the use of gloves and self-contained breathing apparatuses is essential for handling such substances and preventing toxic gas inhalation or direct exposure to pure fentanyl.

Peñaloza also disputed the claim made by alleged "cookers" in the videos that they had developed a "tolerance to the lethal drug." She argued that there is no scientific evidence supporting this assertion and that the masks and face covers seen were likely used to conceal their identities.

After a thorough analysis, Lieutenant Peñaloza concluded that "there are not enough elements to demonstrate that the information presented in The New York Times article accurately documents a laboratory for synthesizing clorhidrato de fentanilo."

Who is Juana Peñaloza Ibarra?

Juana Peñaloza is a licensed chemist, biologist, and parasitologist from the Autonomous University of Guerrero. In 2021, she received her professional certificate (12362618) from the Secretary of Public Education’s National Registry of Professionals. That same year, Peñaloza won the Ceneval Award for outstanding performance in the Examen General para el Egreso de la Licenciatura (EGEL) in the field of Chemical Pharmacy.

President Sheinbaum Criticizes NYT’s Fentanyl Report

President Sheinbaum Pardo echoed Lieutenant Peñaloza’s sentiments during her conference, questioning the credibility of the NYT report. She argued that the debate centered around whether these types of articles, detailing drug production and trafficking, are based on reliable information. The president pointed out the illogical nature of the claim that subjects in the video had developed a "tolerance to lethal drugs" in light of the ongoing fentanyl-related deaths in the United States.

Despite criticizing the report, President Sheinbaum reiterated Mexico’s commitment to combating fentanyl trafficking. The government continues to prioritize efforts to dismantle criminal organizations involved in the production and distribution of fentanyl.

Headline: Sheinbaum‘s Government Fires Back at PAN: ‘They’re Lying’ About Gasoline Price Limit

In a strongly-worded response, the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum has accused the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) of lying, following claims that Morena refused to cap the price of gasoline below 20 pesos in the Chamber of Deputies.

During Friday’s morning press conference, Prosecutor General of the Consumer Protection Federal Agency (Profeco), Iván Escalante, rebuked the PAN’s accusations. "To all PAN members who claim that Morena’s parliamentary group refused to limit gasoline prices below 20 pesos, we say they are lying, as there is no record of such a statement," Escalante said.

Meanwhile, President Sheinbaum assured that her administration is fulfilling its commitment not to increase gasoline prices in real terms, with current prices ranging between 23.50 and 24 pesos. She explained that this margin is reasonable for gas station owners’ profits, including the tax known as IEPS. However, she acknowledged that some gas stations are selling gasoline at 28 pesos (referring to Magna gasoline), which she described as "unjustified."

Escalante highlighted that during the first three months of Sheinbaum’s government, there has been a 0.4 percent decrease in gasoline prices, from 23.95 to 23.85 pesos by January 2, 2025. This figure is lower than that registered in countries like South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

Gasoline Price Evolution: Peña, Calderón, or AMLO?

Escalante detailed the evolution of regular gasoline prices during the administrations of Felipe Calderón, Enrique Peña Nieto, and Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Under Calderón (2006-2012), the price increased from 14.75 to 18.10 pesos, representing a 22.9 percent jump. During Peña Nieto’s term (2012-2018), the price surged from 18.25 to 26.01 pesos, a 42.8 percent hike, marked by notorious "gasolinazos." In contrast, under López Obrador, prices decreased from 25.48 to 24.15 pesos, a 5.2 percent drop, keeping his promise not to raise prices in real terms.

Profeco’s ‘Nametags’ for Abusive Gas Stations

As part of its strategy to denounce abusive gas stations, Profeco has announced that from the following week of January, it will place banners reading "Don’t fill up here, they jack up the prices" at stations with elevated prices. President Sheinbaum confirmed that Profeco will place a ‘scarlet letter’ on gas stations to inform consumers if they are within or beyond the acceptable price range for gasoline.

Mexican Couple, Including Anticorruption Prosecutor, Injured in New Orleans Terror Attack

In a shocking turn of events, Javier Salas Espinoza, the anticorruption prosecutor of Baja California, and his wife, Ivonne Palma, were injured in a terrorist attack in New Orleans, USA. The couple, who were vacationing and celebrating the New Year, is now receiving medical attention at a local hospital.

According to María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the state’s prosecutor, both Salas and Palma are stable but under medical review to be discharged in the coming days. Unofficial reports suggest that Salas suffered a fracture in one of his feet, while Palma sustained minor injuries and scrapes.

The attack occurred on January 1, 2025, around 03:00 hours, when a man named Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove his car into a crowd, followed by a shooting spree. The incident left 15 people dead and 30 injured.

Days before the attack, Palma had shared a family photo on her Facebook profile, taken on December 25, 2024. The Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations confirmed that the couple was the only two Mexicans injured in the terrorist attack.

Javier Salas Espinoza, a seasoned public servant, has held various positions throughout his career. He was appointed as the anticorruption prosecutor of Baja California in June 2023. Prior to this, he served as the director of municipal transport in Tijuana (2016-2018) and the head of the security department in Mexicali (2004-2007).

The Mexican Consulate in New Orleans is in contact with the couple’s family and providing necessary assistance. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the global threat of terrorism, even during celebratory occasions like New Year’s Eve.

Headline:
Disappointment as 2025‘s First Pensión Bienestar Payments Fall Short of Expected 25% Increase

Article:

Pensioners in Mexico were left underwhelmed this week as the first payments of the 2025 Pensión Bienestar program began, failing to reflect the promised 25% increase. Instead, recipients saw a mere 3.3% bump,equivalent to an additional MXN 200 in their bimonthly stipend, totalling MXN 6,200.

In a statement, the Secretaría del Bienestar, which oversees social programs in Mexico, confirmed the increase, which, while modest, is the lowest since the inception of the program. Last year, the pension saw a 25% increase, jumping from MXN 4,800 to MXN 6,000 bimonthly. The recent increment not only falls short of the expected 25% but also fails to surpass the rate of inflation.

President Claudia Sheinbaum had announced an increase for 2025, but the exact amount and commence date remained unspecified until the recent communiqué. Although the tipped 25% boost could have potentially raised the bimonthly pension to MXN 7,500, recipients will now have to wait for further details on when and by how much the promised increase will materialize.

The Pensión Bienestar program, initiated under the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has seen consistent annual increases since its inception in 2019. Here’s a look at how the pension has evolved over the years:

• 2019: MXN 2,550
• 2020: MXN 2,620
• 2021: MXN 3,100
• 2022: MXN 3,850
• 2023: MXN 4,800
• 2024: MXN 6,000

As for the 2025 payment schedule, the Secretaría del Bienestar has announced that dispersions will occur between January 2 and 22, with each date corresponding to a specific initial letter of the recipients’ last names. Those interested can check the full calendar here.

This year, the program will benefit 12,393,658 adult pensioners, 1,395,400 people with disabilities, and 325,171 working mothers. However, with the current state of affairs, there’s widespread uncertainty about the future of these financial provisions.