澳门六合彩

Week of 04/07/2024 - 04/13/2024

Over the weekend (04/06-04/07), Mexico and Ecuador broke diplomatic ties with each other following an attack on Mexico鈥檚 Embassy in Quito by the Ecuadorian military on Saturday morning (04/06).听

In the early hours of the morning, members of Ecuador鈥檚 Special Forces entered the Mexican Embassy by force and arrested Jorge Glas, Ecuador鈥檚 former Vice President who is facing charges of corruption and had been taking refuge in the Mexican Embassy since December 2023. Ecuador鈥檚 President Daniel Noboa insists that Mexico was improperly using the embassy to harbor Glas, who is facing criminal charges, but Mexico maintains that international law was violated. More than聽 the invasion of the embassy, including the聽.听

Tensions between Mexico and Ecuador had been rising before the embassy attack, as Ecuador聽named Mexico鈥檚 ambassador a 鈥減ersona non grata鈥� last week and ordered her to leave the country. Just moments after the attack, President L贸pez Obrador announced via X that diplomatic relations between the two countries have been broken.听

On Thursday (04/11), Foreign Minister Alicia B谩rcena announced that Mexico had submitted a petition to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to remove Ecuador from the United Nations until a formal public apology is given for Ecuador鈥檚 invasion of the Mexican Embassy in Quito on Saturday (04/06).听

Notably, Ecuador has聽 from the UN for not paying the required quotas needed for membership and voting, and the country聽 in fees. However, Mexico鈥檚 petition also requests a reparation of damages caused during the attack, as well as a request to set a precedent that any country that 鈥渁cts like Ecuador has鈥� (i.e. invades an embassy) must be immediately suspended from the UN.听

Foreign Minister B谩rcena noted that the attack also has economic consequences 鈥� according to B谩rcena, the two countries had聽 on a free trade agreement, but these talks have since been suspended.听

The first televised public debate between the three leading presidential candidates took place on Sunday (04/07), but the discussion of proposed policies was overshadowed by technical difficulties, specifically with the clocks used to time the speaking time of the candidates. Nevertheless, the National Electoral Institute (INE), the organization that organizes the debates,听 that the technical issues did not have a significant impact on the debate overall.听

,听, and聽 outlined their campaign proposals and plans if elected, especially in regards to education, health, corruption and transparency, discrimination, and violence against women. Sheinbaum, of MORENA, highlighted her experience and accomplishments as Mayor of Mexico City, and G谩lvez emphasized her indigenous roots and how her plans would be a reversal of President L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 administration. However, many personal attacks were launched between the two leading candidates, with Sheinbaum calling G谩lvez聽, while G谩lvez painted Sheinbaum as 鈥�.鈥澛�

To learn more about the key takeaways from the first presidential debate, take a look at the聽.听

Petr贸leos Mexicanos (PEMEX), Mexico鈥檚 state-owned petroleum company, announced on Monday (04/08) that it would reduce exports of crude oil to markets in the United States, Europe, and Asia by 35%, equivalent to at least 330,000 barrels per day, in the month of May 2024.听

Following February鈥檚 record of the lowest levels of crude oil production in 45 years, PEMEX is looking to supply more to domestic markets in Mexico in an effort to reach energy self-sufficiency, thus causing the decrease in exports of crude oil.听

An explosion at an oil rig on Saturday (04/06) also is causing problems for PEMEX 鈥� one employee was killed and two have been left seriously wounded, with various others left injured. This explosion has decreased production by around 20,000 barrels per day.听