President Enrique Peña Nieto opened the Durango-Mazatlán superhighway, which connects the northeast part of the country with the port-city of Mazatlán. The highway will provide a more accessible land route for tourists and exports.
Oct. 4
A passenger bus crashed on the Toluca-Naucalpan highway, leaving 14 dead and 23 wounded.
A wheel detached from the bus, sending the vehicle off the edge of a cliff. Unofficial reports said the bus was “very old.”
OCT. 5
The Mexico City government announced that it would carry out a study to decide whether a one or two peso increase in the subway fare would be needed in order to carry out needed renovations.
Mexico City Transportation and Roads Secretary Rufino H. León Tovar said that the increase was necessary since the subsidy from the Mexico City government is already very high.
Oct. 6
Former PRD presidential candidate Andres Manuel López Obrador called on his supporters to protest against energy and tax reform.
Among the suggested means of civil disobedience were the creation of human chains outside the Senate and Chamber buildings, boycotting department stores and television stations and refusing to pay electricity bills and taxes.
Oct. 8
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its growth forecast for Mexico from 2.9 to 1.2 percent, stating that it has one of the lowest growth expectations among all IMF nations.
Not only was Mexico projected to grow slower than the global average, it also found itself ranked lower than the BRICS nations.
Oct. 9
U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen received President Barack Obama’s nomination to assume the position of Federal Reserve Chair after the end of Ben Bernanke’s second term on January 31.
Unemployment heads Yellen’s list of problems to tackle, as she believes that “too many Americans still can’t find a job.”
Oct. 10
Rebels from the “Anti-Crime Department” kidnapped Lybian Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, saying that he was involved in corruption and harming state security. Other reports said that the kidnapping was in response to the U.S.’s capture of al-Qaida suspect Abu Anas al-Liby.
Zeidan was later released after over three hours of detainment. One report says that “former rebels went to where he was being held and demanded his release.”
Oct. 11
Communications and Transportation Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said that the Autopista del Sol had reopened after 25 days of closure due to damage sustained by hurricanes “Ingrid” and “Manuel.”
The Federal Bridge and Highway Authority said that the usual 5-hour trip to Acapulco from Mexico City had increased to 15 hours after detours and delays.
Oct. 13
Former Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard demanded that the PRD allow for the party president to be elected by the public.
He said that this would prevent further conflict within the party and ensure a stronger backing of the party president’s decisions.
Oct. 14
Health Secretary Mercedes Juan López said that authorities detected 159 cases of cholera in Mexico since last August. 145 of the cases were found in the state of Hidalgo caused by the highly contaminated Teculoco River that passes through it. Juan López said that the country hadn’t experienced a cholera outbreak since the ’90s.
Oct. 18
Saudi Arabia rejected the offer for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, saying that the organization is incapable of maintaining international peace. It said that 65 years had passed without a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian land-dispute. It also pointed out that it had not been able to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.
Oct. 19
The Milan appellate court decided to suspend former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from holding public office for two years.
The decision came after his implication in the Mediaset case, in which his company artificially raised the price of their rights in order to evade taxes and move money to offshore accounts.
Oct. 22
Interior Secretary Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong said that an investigation is to be carried out to determine whether or not citizens and public officials participated in espionage against former President Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto during the 2012 election season. Osorio Chong said that the investigation would be thorough and would leave no stone unturned.
Oct. 24
Sgt. 1st Class Amos Patton shot and wounded three soldiers at a National Guard base in Northern Tennessee, after receiving news that he was to be fired for misconduct.
An FBI report said that Patton pulled the gun from his fanny-pack after coming back from his car to return government property.
The three soldiers sustained minor wounds and none were killed.
Oct. 26
Hundreds of protesters marched on the U.S. Capitol in Washington in response to online surveillance programs the government has been carrying out on its own citizens.
President Barack Obama has defended all spying programs, saying that they are crucial for national security and have foiled terrorist plots in the past.
Oct. 26
The Senate passed a tax reform bill with 71 votes in favor, 45 against and two abstentions. The National Action Party (PAN) and half of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) did not attend the session.
Oct. 31
A Mexico City Public Security Secretariat operation removed 28 ‘franaleros’ operating illegally in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood.
The franaleros claim streets and charge illegally for parking. People who decide not to pay them have found their tires flattened or cars damaged upon return. 120 officers have been assigned to the operation and will be distributed to different parts of the neighborhood.
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