By José Antonio Pérez
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) visited the border town of San Luis Rio Colorado on Tuesday, March 26th, to unveil programs for the Northern Border, as well as to express assurances to address fishing concerns in the Upper Gulf of California.
Though vowing to fulfill commitments of the federal government with the fishing community, the President asked for time given the severity and enormity of concerns facing the country. He emphasized there would not be any rate hikes to the price of electricity or other energy resources, and that gasoline increases are a thing of the past.
Sonora Governor Claudia Arellano Pavlovich, also present at the President’s visit to the border, publicly requested the President support electricity subsidies, assist fishermen in the Upper Gulf of California, as well as support for single mothers who are head of households.
During the presentation on Northern Border Programs (Programas de la Frontera Norte) in San Luis Rio Colorado, AMLO announced investments of over 500 million pesos for urban improvements in that municipality.
Together with SEDATU Chair (Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development) Román Meyer, the President further presented implementation of the program Mi México Late (My Mexico’s heart beats), which will include investment of resources into 13 neighborhoods of San Luis Río Colorado.
Similarly, at the “Northern Border and Urban Improvement Program” event, Economy Minister Graciela Márquez reported that fiscal stimulus programs will be expanded in municipalities along Mexico’s northern border, allowing for companies to bill with a value added tax of 8% (rather than 16%).
She made assurances they would facilitate the process for companies in these municipalities to register for the program, with the goal of strengthening the economic capacity of residents along the border.