Yearbook 2019
 Mexico. Despite President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's
goal of combating crime through the formation of a
59,000-strong National Guard, crime statistics in Mexico's
long-violent violence continued to be alarming throughout
the year. In July, it was reported that the number of
murders in the first half of the year amounted to 17,138, an
increase of 7.2% compared to the same period the year
before, and only in June did 3,000 murders or 100 murders a
day, the second highest monthly figure since statistics
began to take place in 1997 The numbers indicated that 2019
would be the most violent year in Mexico's history.
According to
CountryAAH, President López Obrador was also put under pressure by US
President Donald Trump's threat in late March to close the
border between countries unless Mexico sharpened its efforts
to prevent illegal immigration to the United States. In
addition, Trump threatened to halt aid to El Salvador,
Guatemala and Honduras, and in May he threatened with
increased import duties by 5% on all Mexican imports. The US
requirements included tougher border controls against
Guatemala, where many of the migrants come from, and higher
asylum reception. Analysts said that the main reason was
Trump's ambition to be re-elected in 2020, and that higher
import duties and absent aid would lead to more, not less,
illegal immigration to the United States because of the
social consequences of corporate closures and unemployment,
in both Mexico and the Central American countries,
At the same time, López Obrador's coalition Together we
make history (JHH) his first test since taking office in
December 2018. Governor elections were held in the states of
Puebla and Baja California, where the National Action Party
(PAN) has long dominated, and JHH won them both. However,
voter turnout was very low, only 30%, which reflected
political leadership among voters rather than anything else.
On the other hand, PAN won the majority in a few elections
to state parliaments and municipalities held simultaneously
in Tamaulipas, Aguascalientes and Durango.
In May 2016, the government passed a new law establishing
special economic zones in the poor southern states. Chiapas,
Oaxaca and Guerrero account for 10% of the country's
population, but only 1 in every 36 pesos invested goes to
these states.
In June, state elections were held in 12 states. The
ruling PRI lost the governor post in 4 states and
subsequently only sat on the post in 5 states. The other 7
states were won by PAN, in some cases in alliance with PRD.
The anti-PRI alliance was a success despite the two dire
parties. Despite the defeat, the PRI still held the governor
post in 16 of the country's 31 states.
The same month, the teachers' union CNTE conducted
protests and demonstrations against educational reform that
would particularly affect rural teachers. The clashes became
violent and in Oaxaca eight teachers were killed when police
attacked a blockade. In May 2017, teachers of specifically
Oaxaca resumed strikes and demonstrations against reform.
In the US, during the 2016 presidential election
campaign, Donald Trump pitched on, among other things. to
require the building of a wall between Mexico and the United
States, with a view to halting immigration from Latin
America to the United States. At the same time, Trump
demanded that Mexico pay for the wall. In August, therefore,
President Nieto invited Trump to visit Mexico. The visit was
criticized in the Mexican media, and specifically that Nieto
did not make it clear to Trump that Mexico would not pay the
bill. Following Trump's accession as President of the United
States in January 2017, a Mexican state visit to the United
States was scheduled, but when Trump again launched the idea
of building a wall paid for by Mexico, the visit was
canceled. The two presidents first met in Hamburg in July
2017.
Violence continued to rise. In the first 11 months of
2016, 36,056 killings were committed, up from 33,017 in
2015. At the same time, many were abducted or missing. At
the end of 2016, that number was 29,917 people.
Due. During the economic and social crisis in Guatemala,
Honduras and El Salvador, there was a continued flow of
refugees to the north. In 2015, Mexican immigration
authorities arrested 20,000 unaccompanied children from
these countries, and in the first 10 months of 2016, 14,000
were arrested.
In January 2017, gasoline prices rose by 20%. The rise in
prices triggered demonstrations in many Mexican cities and
in many places gas stations were attacked and gasoline
stolen. After the first month, around 1,000 people were
arrested for this type of theft. At the same time, the
president's popularity plummeted. From 23% in August 2016 to
12% in January 2017. Even lower than the newly appointed US
President Donald Trump.
In September, the country was hit by two powerful
earthquakes. At the beginning of the month, an earthquake in
the Pacific triggered off the southern state of Chiapas. At
least 98 were killed, 41,000 homes destroyed and $ 1.8
million. Mexicans were affected by the quake. Twelve days
later, a quake struck Puebla, but the most serious injuries
were in Mexico City. A total of 370 people were killed and
over 6,000 injured. Many buildings that had survived the
earthquake in 1985 collapsed because there was another type
of quake.
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