Mexico Roundup: Opposition to immigration law, assasination of presidential candidate, criminal hostages

Opposition to Texas immigration law

Mexico has filed an amicus brief against Texas Immigration Law SB 4, which allows Texas authorities to arrest and prosecute individuals suspected of illegal entry across the US-Mexico border. The US Supreme Court reversed its position, allowing the law to go into effect. However, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reinstated the preliminary injunction. Mexico fears the law will discriminate against Mexican citizens and those of Latino descent, undermining their human rights and dignity.

30 years since assasination of presidential candidate

Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party was fatally shot during a campaign appearance in Tijuana, a border city in Mexico, south of California on March 23, 1994. Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas, the son of the assassinated Mexican presidential candidate, has captured the Latin nation's attention. He is seeking a pardon for his father's convicted killer while pursuing a Senate seat. "I forgive that person, may God bless him, may he be free and leave Mexico, and may he allow us to heal as a nation," Colosio Riojas said. The tragic assassination of his father was the focus of the 2019 Netflix television series "Crime Diaries: The Candidate." The budding politician was just eight when his father was shot in the head. The only person imprisoned for the killing of Murrieta is Mario Aburto, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison. In January, a judge threw out evidence presented by the attorney general's office against an alleged second gunman suspected of having acted with the complicity of a now-defunct government intelligence service.

18 hostages of criminal groups rescued

Mexican authorities conducted a successful rescue operation in Sinaloa, rescuing 18 hostages from criminal groups on March 22. The operation where more than 600 special forces were dispatched to bolster security involved a collaboration between police and military forces, although the perpetrators of the mass kidnappings are still at large. Sinaloa Governor Ruben Roche reported the rescue of nine adults and nine children from mass kidnappings. The governor said that authorities are now working with police and military forces to locate seven more kidnapped individuals. According to media reports, mass kidnappings took place on March 21 in various locations of the La Noria region, outside Sinaloa’s capital city of Culiacan where at least three families were taken hostage by members of criminal organisations.

Concacaf Nations League Final

Mexico faces off against the United States (USMNT) for the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) Final on March 24 at AT&T Stadium. In last year’s CNL semifinal, the USMNT beat the Latin American nation Mexico in a 3-0 victory. The defeat against his archrival cost the then-Mexico coach, Diego Cocca his job after he had only managed seven games for the Mexican team. “This is how I am judged because I am the coach of the Mexican national team, I understand it, but I don’t share it. I have always thought that processes take you to a better place than seeking immediate results,”. said Jamie Lozano current head coach of Mexico in a press conference on March 23. Mexico has not defeated the United States in their last six games.

Land subsidence

Mexico City's metro system has faced challenges due to land subsidence, a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the earth's surface due to the removal of subsurface earth materials. A recent study using satellite radar data and structural engineering analyses identifying areas affected by this phenomenon. The metro's infrastructure has been damaged causing damage to the city's core infrastructure, including the Mexico City Metro, the second largest in North America this has prompted the recommendation for proactive measures to mitigate the risks. “By comparing two or more radar observations from roughly the same location in space, we can detect small changes of the Earth’s surface with centimeter-level accuracy,” said Shimon Wdowinski, FIU geophysics professor and study co-author.