The Guadalajara Reporter
Guadalajara's Largest English Newspaper
Mexico’s minimum wage goes up by around four percent from January 1, a hike criticized by some as insufficient to meet the needs of the country’s poorest citizens. Some 13 percent of Mexico’s workforce still earn the minimum salary, which pales in comparison to those of other developed nations. A minimum salary is not enough to cover even the basic necessities of a Mexican family, many NGOs say.
Marijuana debate
Dates have been set for Mexico’s federal legislators and senators to discuss the possible legalization of marijuana. Sessions and audiences involving experts on the issue will take place from January 25 to February 17.
At the halfway point of his single-term, six-year presidency, Enrique Peña Nieto feels the nation is back on track, largely thanks to the “robust” and “stable” macroeconomic climate.
After years of sustained hikes, motorists will be pleased to learn that the cost of gas will be lowered as of January 1.
US links newspaper to drug cartel
A leading Mexican newspaper has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for having links to drug trafficking. Mexico City-based daily Unomasuno was added to the department’s “Kingpin” list this week because its owner allegedly supported the Cuinis drug cartel. Three other companies, including an air taxi firm, were also placed on the list that freezes their assists in the United States. Americans dealing with any designated firm on the list would be breaking U.S. law.
Mexico City, commonly known here as the Distrito Federal, may soon receive the status of a state, allowing residents to elect a governor rather than a mayor for the first time.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last week celebrated the 75th anniversary of its legal attaché program in Mexico City. According to an FBI press release, the FBI and Mexican authorities have been working together to investigate crimes since the late 1910s, with the legal attaché office formally opening in 1940. Since its opening, the FBI office in Mexico City has grown to become the agency’s largest overseas post.
The idea of listening to a elderly man wearing a back to front baseball cap, bermuda shorts and talking in the high-pitched voice of a child for three hours each Sunday morning may not appeal to many.
Employees in Mexico will be expecting a little extra in their pay packet prior to Christmas. The aguinaldo (Christmas bonus) is a long-standing tradition in Mexico and is specified in Article 87 of the Federal Labor Law.
