Cape Verde to Elect New President

Mexico, Aug 21 (Prensa Latina) Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla arrived in Mexico on Sunday to hold talks with her peer Felipe Calderon on security, drug trafficking and commercial relations.

The meeting of the two leaders is scheduled for August 22 and 23, when they will sign agreements on extradition procedures and exchange of information in the fight against organized crime.

Mexico: PRD Makes Last Congress before the 2012 Elections

Mexico Aug 20 (Prensa Latina) The Democratic Revolution Party (PRD in Spanish) held on Saturday its 13th Extraordinary National Congress, which is the last before the presidential election in 2012.

The agenda for this meeting will focus, among other topics, on the PRDâ�Ös program and development plan, according to Jesus Zambrano, who was the national president during the 9th Extraordinary Plenary of the National Council on Friday.

Immigrants’ Rights Caravan Arrives in Mexico City

Mexico, Aug 1 (Prensa Latina) The “Step by Step Toward Peace” caravan arrives in this city on Monday to hold talks with the Senate, according to priest Alejandro Solalinde, an immigrant rights activist and director of the immigrant shelter “Brothers on the Way.” After traveling through the Mexican states usually traversed by undocumented Central American immigrants en route to the United States, the caravan members will present their demands for an end to immmigrant harassment and abuse.

Colombian President Visits Mexico

Mexico City, Aug 1 (Prensa Latina) Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos begins a state visit to Mexico on the invitation of President Felipe Calderon.

  The two leaders will sign several agreements and review various issues and joint actions, particularly in the fight against drug trafficking, the international political situation and the environment.

Mexico: PAN’s Seven Candidates

Por Katia Monteagudo

Mexico, July 31 (PL) While most Mexican political forces have not yet defined their contenders for the presidential race, seven politicians of the ruling National Action Party (PAN) are vying for its candidature in the 2012 elections.

According to PAN’s chairman Gustavo Madero, each candidate must decide whether or not to step down.

Giant Police Operation in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Mexico, Jul 24 (Prensa Latina) A giant police operation in the dangerous center of Ciudad Juarez, north of Mexico, enabled the detention for investigation of some 400 people.

A missing teenager and a man being investigated for killing a woman were also found during the operation, held Saturday night.

March in Defense of Migrants Leaves Guatemala for Mexico

Mexico, Jul 24 (Prensa Latina) The Caravan “Step by Step Towards Peace” leaves Guatemala for Mexico to demand the government of Felipe Calderón the cessation of attacks against Central American migrants, as well as unfairly blaming organized crime for the abuses.

Mexico Fires, Demotes More than 400 Officials for Corruption

Mexico City , Jul 20 (Prensa Latina) The Mexican Office of the General Prosecutor fired or demoted more than 400 of its officials for corruption, administrative errors, and the perpetration of crimes, Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibanez said on Wednesday.

Pastors for Peace Caravan Crosses U.S. Border into Mexico

Mexico City, Jul 20 (Prensa Latina) The 22nd Pastors for Peace Caravan will cross the U.S. border into Mexico on Wednesday, carrying humanitarian aid and challenging the U.S. blockade against Cuba.

Mexican Gov”t Admits to Persistence of Torture

Mexico City, Jul 15 (Prensa Latina) The Mexican government admitted that torture and impunity persist in the country, according to an official report delivered to UN Higher Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and released Friday.

PRI Ruling in Three Mexican States

Mexico, Jul 4 (Prensa Latina) The Institutional revolutionary Party (PRI) managed to win control of Mexico, Nayarit and Coahuila States reported the program of Electoral Preliminary Results (PEPR).

Mexico Investigates Kidnapping of Immigrants in Veracruz

Mexico City, Jun 28 (Prensa Latina) The search for immigrants kidnapped in Medias Aguas, Veracruz, continues, the Attorney General”s Office said in a press release on Tuesday.

According to spokesman Ricardo Najera, since Monday authorities have been investigating the kidnapping of up to 100 undocumented Central American immigrants, mostly Guatemalan, by members of the Los Zetas gang.

Mexico: Zetas Leader Captured

Mexico, Jun 26 (Prensa Latina) The Federal Police captured Albert González Peña or Franco Bueno Peña, known as El Tigre, alleged leader of the criminal gang Los Zetas in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

El Tigre, 43 years old, is involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion, according to intelligence reports from the police.

Tropical Storm Beatriz Nears Mexico’s Pacific Coast

Mexico, Jun 21 (Prensa Latina) The Mexican states of Colima, Guerrero and Michoacan issued hurricane warnings due to the proximity of Tropical Storm Beatriz, which could become the first hurricane of the season in the Pacific on Monday.

Melchor Ursua Quiroz, director of Colimaâ�Ös Civilian Protection System, said Beatriz brought heavy showers to the region.

Mexico: Police Operations vs Violence to Continue

Mexico, Jun 21 (Prensa Latina) Mexicoâ�Ös National Governors Conference (Conago) agreed on Monday to continue surprise police operations in specific zones of the country in order to stop the growing spiral of violence.

According to official sources, a national police operation, carried out since last Monday until Sunday, will become a permanent action.

US Agency’s Gun Operation Stirs Anger in Mexico, US

Federal police officers stand over an injured man, allegedly belonging to the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, after a gun battle was held a day earlier in Jilotlan, Mexico, May 28, 2011 (file photo)

The Obama administration is continuing an investigation into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms – known as the ATF – for allegedly allowing guns to be smuggled into Mexico after they had been purchased in the United States by people who were suspected of criminal activity. The allegations have fueled anger and mistrust on both sides of the border.

Mexico Arrests Alleged Drug Cartel Boss

Federal police officers escort suspect Marco Antonio Guzman, aka ‘El Brad Pitt,’ an alleged member of the Mexican Juarez drug cartel, during a presentation to the press in Mexico City, Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mexican federal police have arrested the man accused of leading the enforcement unit of the Juarez drug cartel.

El Chapo Guzman, Enemy No. 1, Says DEA

Mexico, Jun 17 (Prensa Latina) Mexican Joaquin Guzman Loera is a major drug dealer and the most wanted criminal in the world, according to an analysis of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) released Thursday.

El Chapo Guzman, as he is known, has a vast criminal empire and is regarded as the Godfather of the drug world, said DEA.

Mexico: Never-Ending Violence in Monterrey

Mexico City, Jun 17 (Prensa Latina) The arrest of an alleged perpetrator of the murder of the bodyguards of Nuevo Leon Governor Rodrigo Medina was one of the top headlines in Monterrey on Friday.

A group of 26 municipal policemen were arrested yesterday for alleged links to a group that killed the bodyguards of Medina, who also has received death threats, according to Adrian de la Garza, attorney from Monterrey.

Mexicans on 2nd Crusade against Violence

Mexico City,  (Prensa Latina) The second people´s crusade against crime, known as the “Consolation Caravan” will travel from Cuernavaca to Ciudad Juarez on Saturday to demand justice, peace and a new government anti-crime strategy, organizers confirmed.

Summer Frost Destroys Mexican Crops

Mexico City, Jun 4 (Prensa Latina) An unusual summer frost destroyed 57,000 hectares of corn, sorghum, peas, potato and beans in Veracruz, Tlaxcala and Puebla states, El Universal newspaper reported Saturday.

Mexican Military Finds Huge Weapons Cache

Soldiers review a weapons cache that includes 154 rifles and shotguns and over 92,000 rounds of ammunition during a media presentation, in Mexico City, Mexico, June 3, 2011

Mexican soldiers have discovered a huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition buried in an underground chamber, apparently hidden by one of the country’s warring drug cartels.

Heat Wave Grilling Mexico

Mexico, May 29 (Prensa Latina) The heat wave continues this weekend in Mexico, where temperatures remain very high in the state of Sonora and close to the record in Mexico City, informed the National Meteorological Service (SMN).

Temperatures last Thursday were as high as 45.6 degrees centigrade in the shade in El Cubil, in the municipality of Sahuaripa, while El Novillo recorded 43.8 and Tepache, in San Bernardo, and El Orégano registered 43 degrees.

March in Mexico and the USA against Drug Violence

Mexico City, May 21 (Prensa Latina) A march against violence on both sides of the U.S./Mexican border which will assemble in Ciudad Juarez was announced by civil society groups, led by the poet Javier Sicilia.

In Mexico, a caravan of cars and trucks will depart on Saturday, June 4 from Cuernavaca and after visiting 14 other cities, will reach Juarez on Friday the 10th to sign what organizers call the peopleâ�Ös pact for peace and justice with dignity.

Immigration Issue Heats Up in Mexico

Mexico City, May 18 (Prensa Latina) The immigration issue has heated up again in Mexico with the discovery of two trucks carrying over 500 undocumented Central Americans and others and repeated accusations of corruption in the National Migration Institute.

On Tuesday, it was reported that 513 illegal immigrants were intercepted in the southern state of Chiapas, most of them of Central American nations but also from India, China and Japan.