Tag Archives: mexico

International

Dengue update, September 19, 2011: Tens of thousands infected, including hundreds of doctors, hundreds of deaths

The number of Dengue Fever cases continues to climb, around the world.

September 19, Sri Lanka reporting “…17,933 reported cases and 126 deaths…”.  Mosquito eradication efforts have been increased.

September 19, Pakistan not only has several thousands of Dengue cases, but now at least 100 doctors, working at hospitals in Lahore, are confirmed to have it as well.  So far 36 Pakistanis, including a hospital employee, have died from dengue.  The current flooding in Pakistan will only make things worse.

September 8, Limón, Costa Rica, declares state of emergency as 2,006 people test positive for Dengue.

August 29-September 13, two deaths in Mexico reported and the state of Jalisco is put on alert.  Jalisco has exceeded national numbers of Dengue cases. They are fighting the deadly hemorrhagic form of Dengue.

In August, Cuba is put on high alert after mosquito population jumps: “We are in a period of high alert in relation to the control of Aedes aegypti and, in general, epidemiological and environmental surveillance.”-John R. Vazquez, Cuba’s  Entomology and Vector Control, Ministry of Public Health

Bolivia reporting that at least 4,000 people are infected, and at least 23 have died.

See my earlier postings for other Dengue info.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. citizens smuggling drugs in and out of Mexico

A month ago it was revealed that U.S. citizens have been smuggling prescription drugs into Mexico.  Arrests have included doctors!

Now, Mexican army officials say U.S. citizens are smuggling marijuana out of Mexico into the U.S.

They say U.S. citizens are bringing Meth into Mexico, and on their return trip they take out marijuana.  Captured drug lords say U.S. border patrol agents don’t suspect U.S. citizens, and many people in the U.S. are desperate to make extra money!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Bridgestone bribed government officials, got caught

The U.S. Department of Justice says Japanese tire maker Bridgestone has agreed to plead guilty to bid rigging, and bribing Latin American governments.

It involves giant hoses used to transfer oil from oil tankers to storage facilities.

The illegal practice of bribing and bid rigging went on for ten years, from 1997-2007.  Bridgestone admitted that it bribed government officials in Mexico and other Latin American countries to secure deals.  They are facing a fine of only $28 million.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Despite Mexican Civil War, Mexico is the number one destination of U.S. citizens escaping the United States

“We’ve seen an increase of almost 40% in the number of American citizens making inquiries about the requirements for moving to Mexico. There are definitely more Americans emigrating to Mexico…”-Mexican Consulate in New York

In 2009, Mexico became the number one country of choice for U.S. citizens trying to escape the economic and political madness of the United States.

In the Fall of 2008 the one millionth U.S. citizen established residency in Mexico.  There are more U.S. citizens living in Mexico, than in Canada or the United Kingdom.

Foremost are the retirees, who can have a higher standard of living in Mexico than they could in the U.S.

Then there were the professionals who were sent here by their companies or were here on business.

Now there are people looking to live the ‘American Dream’ in Mexico: “My wife and I are both self-employed, so while we don’t make as much money as some of our peers, one of our currencies is freedom and the ability to work anywhere. We keep the focus on results with our clients, not where or how the work gets done. Two recurring themes from all the expatriates we meet here are opportunity and reinvention.”-John and Nicole Larson from Minnesota

A New York couple moved to Mexico just to have a baby, because of Mexico’s socialized health care system: “Top of the list is that the economic benefits of being here allow us both to spend far more time with our son Johnny than we would be allowed if we lived the same style of life back in New York.  We would both have to work full time and our child would be raised with home help and daycare. To be able to personally care for him and watch his daily development is a luxury that we fully appreciate, and it seems a more natural and beneficial way to live.”-John Rogers, moved to Merida, Mexico

It’s not just U.S. citizens, but Canadians and English speaking Europeans who are moving to Mexico, so much so that the Merida Literary Salon has been established, as well as the Merida English Language Library.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Millions of people lost power due to mistakes by power company employees

“This was not a deliberate act. The employee was just switching out a piece of equipment that was problematic.”-Daniel Froetscher, Arizona Public Service

At least 2.5 million people in the U.S. and Mexico, lost power because of maintenance at a Yuma, Arizona, substation.

Around 15:30 September 8, monitoring equipment was replaced.  That caused power to go out for about 56,000 customers.  Ten minutes later, after an attempt to restore power, the lights went out for 2.5 million customers from Yuma, Arizona, to San Diego, California, to Tijuana, Baja California.

Apparently circuits were shorted out.  Power company officials are trying to find out why such actions would have created a “cascade” effect along the power grid.

The power outage also shut down the San Onofre nuclear plant, and caused a 3.2-million gallon sewage spill San Diego beaches.

 

 

 

International

Mexico reports success fighting Dengue Fever

In the state of Oaxaca, cases of Dengue have been reduced by 80%, compared to 2010.  Last year, at the same time, there were more than 1,000 cases, this year 255 so far.

How’d they do it?  Oaxaca officials are praising various efforts, including mosquito eradication.

State officials are not only overseeing vector control in cities, but individual homes as well.  They’ve also had a special focus on tourist areas.

Vector (pests that spread disease) control, includes keeping properties cleaned up and organized, especially getting rid of standing water, and keeping necessary water sources covered.

International, U.S.

U.S. citizen arrested for smuggling ammo into Mexico

The Mexican government says Mexican police arrested a woman after they discovered her shopping cart filled with 3,500 rounds of ammo.

The woman, a U.S. citizen, was heading from El Paso, Texas, to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.  Police say she admitted to being part of the gun running from the United States: “The woman said she was traveling to the downtown area of ​​Ciudad Juarez, where some people deliver military equipment.”-Mexican Attorney General’s Office

Mexican officials says the ammunition was made in Russia, Korea, Brazil, United States and even Mexico.

International, U.S.

The Young Indiana Jones got his start in Mexico, turns out the fictional story may have some truth to it

The popularity of the Indiana Jones movie character lead to the short lived TV show, Young Indiana Jones.  The character spent a lot of time doing rogue archeology in Mexico, at the time of the First World War.

If you remember (oh well, most people don’t) the United States actually invaded Mexico at that time (it wasn’t the first time).  It was to try to capture the revolutionary Fransisco “Poncho” Villa.  Turns out the U.S. Army did a little archeological research as well.

Now Mexican officials are reporting that they found 11 (out of 13) mound sites, that were previously explored by U.S. Army soldiers.  The sites are located near San Joaquin, Chihuahua, where 50 U.S. soldiers spent their off duty time digging around.

The testimonies of two U.S. officers are kept in the National Archives of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Museum, in Washington DC.  Mexican archeologists spent time reading those testimonies.  The documents include photographs, maps, sketches and drawings of the sites.

Mexican archeologists say the maps of the U.S. officers were very accurate.  It turns out that a path indicated on the map was actually a major transport route in ancient times.  However, only 11 of the 13 mound sites on the maps have been found, so far.

The U.S. soldiers estimated the sites to be 800 years old, about the time of the Middle Paquimé period (between 1200 and 1450 AD).

No details have been given about what was found.  I guess we have to go to the National Archives of Anthropology in Washington DC, and beg them to let us read those documents.

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery, What Global Warming? It’s summer time and Crops in Mexico are being threatened by Frost, yet more reasons why food prices will go up

“The involvement is significant, because they are threatening more than 7 million hectares of crops planted in the spring-summer 2011, which are at risk for losing a harvest of 20 million tons of basic grains as well as lost income and liquidity of more 3.5 million basic grain producers.”-Salazar Arriaga, National Confederation of Corn Producers

To be sure Mexico’s agriculture industry is dealing with severe drought, but also flooding and…frost.

23 of Mexico’s 32 states are dealing with drought, but, now that the rainy season is about to start it looks like they’ll get hit with severe flooding, neither of which are conducive to growing crops.

In northern Mexico, winter is predicted to come on colder than normal, resulting in frost damage to many struggling crops.

Some of the worst hit states in Mexico are Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Durango, Sonora, Chihuahua, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Colima, Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatán and Zacatecas.  Farmers in those states have lost too much of the growing year, which means it’s too late to plant anything.

International

Mexico issues new warnings about Dengue Fever

The Mexican Social Security Institute, in the state of Tabasco, issued new warnings about Dengue Fever.  They are calling on people to prevent standing water during the rainy season, and avoidance of mosquitoes.  Dengue is a human disease, but it’s spread by mosquitoes.

There are two types of Dengue, classic and hemorrhagic.  The problem is that in the initial stages it’s difficult to tell which one you might have.  Hemorrhagic Dengue can be fatal, causing internal bleeding in the later stages.

According to Mexican health officials, unlike most viruses in which your body is able to fight off more easily after the first infection, the more times you come down with a Dengue virus the more likely you’ll end up with the fatal hemorrhagic version.  There are four subtype Dengue viruses.

Also, taking painkillers like aspirin makes bleeding worse.  Symptoms of Dengue are a fever that last three to five days, headache, pain in muscles and joints, bleeding of the gums and nose, vomiting and diarrhea.

Although health officials want you to seek medical attention right away, there is no cure (as with any virus).  There is no approved vaccine, but several states in Mexico are experimenting with a new vaccine.

The best thing you can do is avoid mosquitoes.  Use insect repellant.  Stay away from standing water.  Drain standing water on your property.  Refresh water for your outside pets, or farm animals, at least every three days.