After one of the deadliest metro crashes ever in Mexico, the country’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denied any link between the crash and his austerity drive.

As the grieving families started burying their loved ones after the crash, Obrador denied accusations made at him by the employers' association Coparmex, who claim the crash took place due to ignorance of repeated warnings and major cuts in the maintenance budget.

Have a look |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/at-least-24-dead-in-one-of-mexico-citys-worst-metro-train-disasters-382857">At least 24 dead in one of Mexico City's worst metro train disasters</a>

"The metro maintenance has a sufficient budget. It's authorised by Mexico City's legislative assembly. What does that have to do with austerity?," he reacted and accused Coparmex of being a conservative opposition.

His statement has come after one of the metro labour unions accused the government of ignoring repeated warnings about damage to the overpass.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/at-least-20-killed-after-overpass-carrying-metro-cars-collapses-onto-road-in-mexico-city-382719">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/at-least-20-killed-after-overpass-carrying-metro-cars-collapses-onto-road-in-mexico-city-382719/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“The workers are afraid, we have no guarantees,” union leader Jesus Urban told a local newspaper.

However, experts also think that the metro crash is now simply being used as a tool for political bashing.

The accident comes just a month before the June 6 midterm legislative elections in which Lopez Obrador's party aims to retain control of the lower house of Congress.

(With inputs from agencies)

After one of the deadliest metro crashes ever in Mexico, the country’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denied any link between the crash and his austerity drive.

After one of the deadliest metro crashes ever in Mexico, the country’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denied any link between the crash and his austerity drive. As the grieving families started burying their loved ones after the crash, Obrador denied accusations made at him by the employers' association Coparmex, who claim the crash took place due to ignorance of repeated warnings and major cuts in the maintenance budget. Have a look | At least 24 dead in one of Mexico City's worst metro train disasters "The metro maintenance has a sufficient budget. It's authorised by Mexico City's legislative assembly. What does that have to do with austerity?," he reacted and accused Coparmex of being a conservative opposition. His statement has come after one of the metro labour unions accused the government of ignoring repeated warnings about damage to the overpass. Watch | “The workers are afraid, we have no guarantees,” union leader Jesus Urban told a local newspaper. However, experts also think that the metro crash is now simply being used as a tool for political bashing. The accident comes just a month before the June 6 midterm legislative elections in which Lopez Obrador's party aims to retain control of the lower house of Congress. (With inputs from agencies)

'Nothing to do with austerity drive', claims Mexican President after metro crash

Mexico's lucha libre wrestlers held a fair in honour of Children's Day to raise funds for the athletes as they struggle to support themselves a year into the pandemic.

Wrestlers in Mexico hold fair as pandemic hurts industry

At least 20 people have been killed, including children after a overpass carrying metro cars collapses onto a busy road in Mexico City on Monday night. Emergency medical crew and fire fighters are carrying out rescue operation at the site. Several people are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

At least 20 killed after overpass carrying metro cars collapses onto road in Mexico City

Handprints from over 1,200 years ago have been found by researchers on the walls of a cave in Mexico. Archeologists believe the handprints are related to an age-old ritual of the ancient Maya, Reuters reported.

The 137 prints were mostly made by the hands of children and can be dated back to 1,200 years&nbsp;putting them in the timeline during the culmination of ancient Mayan civilisation.

At this point, cities across modern day Mexico and Central America were running high on achievements made in mathematics and art. The cave is situated near the northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This is the same place where many pyramids still stand.&nbsp;

<img alt="handprints" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9df75aeb-b83a-4313-8bb1-a8d779fd5801" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%283%29_1.jpg" />

The cave is situated below a large ceiba tree which was considered auspicious by the Maya.

Sergio Grosjean, an archeologist told Reuters that the handprints most likely belong to children who were entering puberty based on the analysis of the size of their hands. He also believes the colours symbolise certain things.

<img alt="handprints" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="86d6dd94-ce5a-4974-9ccd-6976277a087e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%284%29_0.jpg" />

"They imprinted their hands on the walls in black... which symbolized death, but that didn't mean they were going to be killed, but rather death from a ritual perspective," he told Reuters.

"Afterwards, these children imprinted their hands in red, which was a reference to war or life," he further said.

<img alt="handprints" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0d6fa6a2-82b7-4ecc-9ce0-446e17024456" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%282%29_2.jpg" />

Other Mayan artefacts have also been found in the cave including a carved face and six painted relief sculptures dating from between 800-1,000 AD when the region witnessed a severe drought, triggering the inhabitants to abandon cities.

(With inputs from agencies)

Handprints from over 1,200 years ago have been found by researchers on the walls of a cave in Mexico. Archeologists believe the handprints are related to an age-old ritual of the ancient Maya, Reuters reported.

Handprints from over 1,200 years ago have been found by researchers on the walls of a cave in Mexico. Archeologists believe the handprints are related to an age-old ritual of the ancient Maya, Reuters reported. The 137 prints were mostly made by the hands of children and can be dated back to 1,200 years putting them in the timeline during the culmination of ancient Mayan civilisation. At this point, cities across modern day Mexico and Central America were running high on achievements made in mathematics and art. The cave is situated near the northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. This is the same place where many pyramids still stand. The cave is situated below a large ceiba tree which was considered auspicious by the Maya. Sergio Grosjean, an archeologist told Reuters that the handprints most likely belong to children who were entering puberty based on the analysis of the size of their hands. He also believes the colours symbolise certain things. "They imprinted their hands on the walls in black... which symbolized death, but that didn't mean they were going to be killed, but rather death from a ritual perspective," he told Reuters. "Afterwards, these children imprinted their hands in red, which was a reference to war or life," he further said. Other Mayan artefacts have also been found in the cave including a carved face and six painted relief sculptures dating from between 800-1,000 AD when the region witnessed a severe drought, triggering the inhabitants to abandon cities. (With inputs from agencies)

In pics: Mexican cave reveals mysterious handprints from 1,200 years ago

The&nbsp;Pentagon&nbsp;said on Friday that it was canceling all US-Mexico border wall construction projects paid for with military funds.

Former US president Donald Trump had ordered the diversion of billions of dollars in&nbsp;Pentagon&nbsp;money to pay for the barrier after being denied funding by Congress.

President Joe Biden announced a halt to border wall construction after taking office in January.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Mexican border governor impeached for alleged tax evasion">Mexican border governor impeached for alleged tax evasion</a>

"Consistent with the president's proclamation, the Department of Defence is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions," deputy&nbsp;Pentagon&nbsp;spokesman Jamal Brown said.

Brown said the Defence Department "has begun taking all necessary actions to cancel border barrier projects."

"Today's action reflects this administration's continued commitment to defending our nation and supporting our service members and their families," he said.

Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015 with a pledge to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and to make Mexico pay for it.

Mexico refused and so did the House of Representatives after Democrats took control in 2018.

Trump ultimately bypassed Congress by controversially dipping directly into the&nbsp;Pentagon's coffers, forcing the Defence Department to allocate billions of dollars for the project.

The Pentagon said on Friday that it was canceling all US-Mexico border wall construction projects paid for with military funds. Former US president Donald Trump had ordered the diversion of billions of dollars in Pentagon money to pay for the barrier after being denied funding by Congress.

The Pentagon said on Friday that it was canceling all US-Mexico border wall construction projects paid for with military funds. Former US president Donald Trump had ordered the diversion of billions of dollars in Pentagon money to pay for the barrier after being denied funding by Congress. President Joe Biden announced a halt to border wall construction after taking office in January. Also read: Mexican border governor impeached for alleged tax evasion "Consistent with the president's proclamation, the Department of Defence is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions," deputy Pentagon spokesman Jamal Brown said. Brown said the Defence Department "has begun taking all necessary actions to cancel border barrier projects." "Today's action reflects this administration's continued commitment to defending our nation and supporting our service members and their families," he said. Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015 with a pledge to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and to make Mexico pay for it. Mexico refused and so did the House of Representatives after Democrats took control in 2018. Trump ultimately bypassed Congress by controversially dipping directly into the Pentagon's coffers, forcing the Defence Department to allocate billions of dollars for the project.

Pentagon cancels border wall construction projects

Mexico's Congress voted on Friday to impeach the current governor of the border state of Tamaulipas on charges of tax evasion, money laundering and organised crime.

But the state legislature in Tamaulipas, a cartel-plagued state across from Texas, voted not to recognise the action by the federal Congress and reaffirm Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca as governor. His term ends next year. 
It is unclear if the state legislature's move would hold up in courts. It seemed likely the issue could go to the Supreme Court.

The lower house of the federal congress voted earlier on Friday to remove Cabeza de Vaca's immunity from prosecution, a process similar to impeachment. He is the latest in a string of Tamaulipas governors accused of wrongdoing or corruption.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Number of migrant children at Mexico-US border increases nine-fold this year">Number of migrant children at Mexico-US border increases nine-fold this year</a>

Garcia Cabeza de Vaca is a leading member of the opposition National Action Party, which claimed the charge were part of a campaign by President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador's Morena party to win votes in the June 6 midterm elections.

The vote is part of a political propaganda operation by the Morena government to try to win the elections,&nbsp;National Action said in a statement.

Prosecutors claim he owns a large number of luxury properties that it says don't match the income from his government jobs over the last 20 years. Garcia Cabeza de Vaca has denied the charges.

Mexico's agency for curbing money laundering, the Financial Intelligence Unit, said in a report to Congress earlier this year that Garcia Cabeza de Vaca earned about USD 2,000,000 in wages and USD 1,000,000 in other income since 2000, but acquired properties worth many times that. It also mentioned properties owned by the governor or his relatives in Texas.

The agency also said front companies used by the Sinaloa drug cartel had passed money through the same company that assisted in purchasing one of Garcia Cabeza de Vaca's luxury apartments. But the agency did not say it has any direct evidence of links between the governor and the cartel.

In a video in March, the governor said the agency used data and speculations that are notoriously false&nbsp;in drawing up its report. None of the homes that were shown in the report belong to me, he said.&nbsp;Garcia Cabeza de Vaca also said, have no links to organised crime."

But Garcia Cabeza de Vaca speculated his brushes with the federal government had angered Lpez Obrador's administration. He is among the National Action Party governors who have staked out opposition policies on the coronavirus pandemic and other issues.

He noted that his Gulf coast state is a leading site of wind farms, an energy source that Lpez Obrador has proposed reducing in favor of fossil fuels.

They must be very upset over the way we publicly exposed them, the governor said, referring to an incident in December when the federal power utility&nbsp;a pet agency of the president acknowledged it had falsified a document in an effort to excuse a widespread blackout that month.

The Federal Electricity Commission denied the December&nbsp;28 outage was the result of incompetence.

Instead, it said, a brush fire in Tamaulipas had caused a kind of short-circuit that led to a two-hour blackout that affected one-fourth of the country's customers.

The utility published a supposed report of a brush fire in an area beneath power pylons that it claimed caused the blackout.

But Tamaulipas officials maintained that the document, purportedly issued by a state civil defense office, was forged. The utility at first denied that, but later admitted the report was false.

Garcia Cabeza De Vaca has governed Tamaulipas since 2016. Organised crime groups have long had deep roots in the state and numerous politicians have been implicated in dealings with them.

Former Governor&nbsp;Toms Yarrington of the Institutional Revolutionary Party was extradited to the US&nbsp;from Italy in 2018 to face drug trafficking charges. US&nbsp;Officials also have tried to extradite the governor, who succeeded Yarrington in 2005, Eugenio Hernndez, to face money laundering charges.

The leading candidate to follow Hernndez in 2011, Rodolfo Torre Cant, was assassinated while campaigning for office.

Mexico's Congress voted on Friday to impeach the current governor of the border state of Tamaulipas on charges of tax evasion, money laundering and organised crime.

Mexico's Congress voted on Friday to impeach the current governor of the border state of Tamaulipas on charges of tax evasion, money laundering and organised crime. But the state legislature in Tamaulipas, a cartel-plagued state across from Texas, voted not to recognise the action by the federal Congress and reaffirm Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca as governor. His term ends next year. It is unclear if the state legislature's move would hold up in courts. It seemed likely the issue could go to the Supreme Court. The lower house of the federal congress voted earlier on Friday to remove Cabeza de Vaca's immunity from prosecution, a process similar to impeachment. He is the latest in a string of Tamaulipas governors accused of wrongdoing or corruption. Also read: Number of migrant children at Mexico-US border increases nine-fold this year Garcia Cabeza de Vaca is a leading member of the opposition National Action Party, which claimed the charge were part of a campaign by President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador's Morena party to win votes in the June 6 midterm elections. The vote is part of a political propaganda operation by the Morena government to try to win the elections, National Action said in a statement. Prosecutors claim he owns a large number of luxury properties that it says don't match the income from his government jobs over the last 20 years. Garcia Cabeza de Vaca has denied the charges. Mexico's agency for curbing money laundering, the Financial Intelligence Unit, said in a report to Congress earlier this year that Garcia Cabeza de Vaca earned about USD 2,000,000 in wages and USD 1,000,000 in other income since 2000, but acquired properties worth many times that. It also mentioned properties owned by the governor or his relatives in Texas. The agency also said front companies used by the Sinaloa drug cartel had passed money through the same company that assisted in purchasing one of Garcia Cabeza de Vaca's luxury apartments. But the agency did not say it has any direct evidence of links between the governor and the cartel. In a video in March, the governor said the agency used data and speculations that are notoriously false in drawing up its report. None of the homes that were shown in the report belong to me, he said. Garcia Cabeza de Vaca also said, have no links to organised crime." But Garcia Cabeza de Vaca speculated his brushes with the federal government had angered Lpez Obrador's administration. He is among the National Action Party governors who have staked out opposition policies on the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. He noted that his Gulf coast state is a leading site of wind farms, an energy source that Lpez Obrador has proposed reducing in favor of fossil fuels. They must be very upset over the way we publicly exposed them, the governor said, referring to an incident in December when the federal power utility a pet agency of the president acknowledged it had falsified a document in an effort to excuse a widespread blackout that month. The Federal Electricity Commission denied the December 28 outage was the result of incompetence. Instead, it said, a brush fire in Tamaulipas had caused a kind of short-circuit that led to a two-hour blackout that affected one-fourth of the country's customers. The utility published a supposed report of a brush fire in an area beneath power pylons that it claimed caused the blackout. But Tamaulipas officials maintained that the document, purportedly issued by a state civil defense office, was forged. The utility at first denied that, but later admitted the report was false. Garcia Cabeza De Vaca has governed Tamaulipas since 2016. Organised crime groups have long had deep roots in the state and numerous politicians have been implicated in dealings with them. Former Governor Toms Yarrington of the Institutional Revolutionary Party was extradited to the US from Italy in 2018 to face drug trafficking charges. US Officials also have tried to extradite the governor, who succeeded Yarrington in 2005, Eugenio Hernndez, to face money laundering charges. The leading candidate to follow Hernndez in 2011, Rodolfo Torre Cant, was assassinated while campaigning for office.

Mexican border governor impeached for alleged tax evasion

Pfizer Inc's shipment of COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico this week includes doses made in its US plant, the first of what are expected to be ongoing exports of its shots from the United States.

Pfizer to export COVID-19 shots from its US plant, first doses sent to Mexico

A roof over Mexico City's most important Aztec temple Templo Mayor has partially collapsed in a hailstorm, officials said on Thursday.

The metal and acrylic roof over part of the site came crashing down on Wednesday night, just a day after the city's archaeological zone reopened from pandemic closures.

"Despite the spectacular nature of the accident, the damage to the archaeological heritage is not great," said Leonardo Lopez Lujan, director of the Templo Mayor Project.

In addition to the roof structure, the perimeter fence was damaged, said the culture ministry.

"The impact on pre-Hispanic structures is minor, recoverable and restorable and specialists will take care of this," the ministry said in a statement.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters that experts were assessing the damage.

A security guard suffered minor injuries in the collapse, authorities said.

Built and rebuilt throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, Templo Mayor was the sacred heart of the Aztec capital and believed to be the site of many human sacrifices.

The vast religious building was destroyed when the Spanish conquistadors razed Tenochtitlan in 1521 and built a colonial city on top of it.

Archaeologists first uncovered the temple ruins in 1914, but they were not excavated in earnest until the 1970s.

The historic center of Mexico City was named a UNESCO heritage site in 1987.

(With inputs from agencies)

A roof over Mexico City's most important Aztec temple Templo Mayor has partially collapsed in a hailstorm, officials said on Thursday. The metal and acrylic roof over part of the site came crashing down on Wednesday night, just a day after the city's archaeological zone reopened from pandemic closures.

A roof over Mexico City's most important Aztec temple Templo Mayor has partially collapsed in a hailstorm, officials said on Thursday. The metal and acrylic roof over part of the site came crashing down on Wednesday night, just a day after the city's archaeological zone reopened from pandemic closures. "Despite the spectacular nature of the accident, the damage to the archaeological heritage is not great," said Leonardo Lopez Lujan, director of the Templo Mayor Project. In addition to the roof structure, the perimeter fence was damaged, said the culture ministry. "The impact on pre-Hispanic structures is minor, recoverable and restorable and specialists will take care of this," the ministry said in a statement. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters that experts were assessing the damage. A security guard suffered minor injuries in the collapse, authorities said. Built and rebuilt throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, Templo Mayor was the sacred heart of the Aztec capital and believed to be the site of many human sacrifices. The vast religious building was destroyed when the Spanish conquistadors razed Tenochtitlan in 1521 and built a colonial city on top of it. Archaeologists first uncovered the temple ruins in 1914, but they were not excavated in earnest until the 1970s. The historic center of Mexico City was named a UNESCO heritage site in 1987. (With inputs from agencies)

Mexico: Roof over famous Aztec temple collapses in hailstorm

A large group of migrants protested at the U.S. border in the northwest Mexican city of Tijuana on Saturday (April 24), demanding they be allowed to cross and claim asylum in the United States.

'We want asylum,' Migrants protest at Mexico border city, seeking entry to U.S.

After one long year of lockdown due to the coronavirus, seniors of Mexico City were finally able to get back on their feet on Saturday (April 24) and dance in public parks.

Mexican seniors return to dancing as vaccinations move forward

Mexican authorities have arrested yet another suspect with the accusations of being involved in the double murder of a French restaurateur and his business partner.

The arrested man is a 39-year-old who has been accused of killing the 45-year-old dual national Baptiste Lormand and his Mexican associate Luis Orozco last year while attempting to steal an expensive wine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mexico-detains-30-marines-in-collection-with-disappearances-of-several-people-in-2014-377313">Mexico detains 30 Marines in collection with disappearances of several people in 2014&nbsp;</a>

In November 2020, the two men were found dead on the south side of the national capital, two days after Lormand was last spotted in Polanco, where he ran a restaurant of his own.

Authorities had earlier, too, reported the arrest of four suspects in connection to the double murder.

The case of double murder had attracted massive protests in the country, as people marched on roads demanding justice and condemning the alarming increase in violent attacks.

Mexico recorded more than 34,500 murders last year, of which 1,268 had taken place in Mexico City itself.

Mexican authorities have arrested yet another suspect with the accusations of being involved in the double murder of a French restaurateur and his business partner.

Mexican authorities have arrested yet another suspect with the accusations of being involved in the double murder of a French restaurateur and his business partner. The arrested man is a 39-year-old who has been accused of killing the 45-year-old dual national Baptiste Lormand and his Mexican associate Luis Orozco last year while attempting to steal an expensive wine. Also read | Mexico detains 30 Marines in collection with disappearances of several people in 2014 In November 2020, the two men were found dead on the south side of the national capital, two days after Lormand was last spotted in Polanco, where he ran a restaurant of his own. Authorities had earlier, too, reported the arrest of four suspects in connection to the double murder. The case of double murder had attracted massive protests in the country, as people marched on roads demanding justice and condemning the alarming increase in violent attacks. Mexico recorded more than 34,500 murders last year, of which 1,268 had taken place in Mexico City itself.

Mexico: Another man arrested in case of double murder

Mexican children toting replica rifles march alongside armed members of a self-defense force who say they have been left to defend their village against drug traffickers all by themselves.

Mexican villagers take anti-narco fight into own hands

After Mexico City's 'Lady Tacos de Canasta,' a street vendor featured in a Netflix series, stood up to police who she said harassed her on the street, she decided to take her fight for worker and LGBT rights to a bigger stage.

Mexican Netflix street vendor star 'Lady Tacos' eyes jump to political stage

Prosecutors in Mexico have arrested 30 Marines in connection with the disappearances of an unspecified number of people in the northern state of Tamaulipas in 2014, the Navy said on Monday. &nbsp;

"Thirty naval service members were made available to the Attorney General's Office on April 9 in compliance with arrest warrants... for the alleged crime of forced disappearance of persons," the Navy Secretariat said in a statement.&nbsp;

The statement did not elaborate on the precise date of the disappearances or the number of victims, but it said the arrests were related to investigations into events that occurred in Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas, on the border with the United States, in 2014.&nbsp;

The Navy said it decided to hand over the uniformed men 'in strict adherence with protocol' so that prosecutors can 'carry out the pertinent investigations’. &nbsp;

Tamaulipas, long marred by violence linked to drug trafficking, has one of the highest rates of missing persons in the country, especially on roads that lead to the border with the United States. &nbsp;

Most of the disappearances are blamed on drug cartels, but law enforcement officials, especially state and municipal police, have also been charged.&nbsp;

Monday's announcement marked the largest detention of military personnel in connection with enforced disappearances in recent years in Mexico. &nbsp;

The government had announced that arrest warrants were being prepared against the military for the disappearance in 2014 of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa school in the southern state of Guerrero, but it has not officially reported whether those warrants have already been carried out. &nbsp;

Between the end of 2006, when the government launched a military offensive against the drug gangs, and December of last year, Mexico had 80,517 reports of missing persons, according to official figures. &nbsp;

In the same period, some 300,000 people have been killed, with most of the deaths blamed on organised crime groups.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Prosecutors in Mexico have arrested 30 Marines in connection with the disappearances of an unspecified number of people in the northern state of Tamaulipas in 2014, the Navy said on Monday.

Prosecutors in Mexico have arrested 30 Marines in connection with the disappearances of an unspecified number of people in the northern state of Tamaulipas in 2014, the Navy said on Monday. "Thirty naval service members were made available to the Attorney General's Office on April 9 in compliance with arrest warrants... for the alleged crime of forced disappearance of persons," the Navy Secretariat said in a statement. The statement did not elaborate on the precise date of the disappearances or the number of victims, but it said the arrests were related to investigations into events that occurred in Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas, on the border with the United States, in 2014. The Navy said it decided to hand over the uniformed men 'in strict adherence with protocol' so that prosecutors can 'carry out the pertinent investigations’. Tamaulipas, long marred by violence linked to drug trafficking, has one of the highest rates of missing persons in the country, especially on roads that lead to the border with the United States. Most of the disappearances are blamed on drug cartels, but law enforcement officials, especially state and municipal police, have also been charged. Monday's announcement marked the largest detention of military personnel in connection with enforced disappearances in recent years in Mexico. The government had announced that arrest warrants were being prepared against the military for the disappearance in 2014 of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa school in the southern state of Guerrero, but it has not officially reported whether those warrants have already been carried out. Between the end of 2006, when the government launched a military offensive against the drug gangs, and December of last year, Mexico had 80,517 reports of missing persons, according to official figures. In the same period, some 300,000 people have been killed, with most of the deaths blamed on organised crime groups. (With inputs from agencies)

Mexico detains 30 Marines in collection with disappearances of several people in 2014 

The Biden administration has struck an agreement with Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to temporarily increase border security in an effort to stop migrants from reaching the US border.

US strikes agreement with Mexico, Honduras and Gautemala to secure borders

Mexico has reportedly doubled the detention of migrants after deploying 10,000 troops across the southern border, White House recently said.

Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary, on Monday announced the move as US counts on local governments to slow down arrivals at the US border.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-smugglers-are-dropping-kids-over-the-us-mexico-border-wall-374852/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Earlier in March, Mexico had began upping its enforcement operations to catch immigrants attempting to leave the country illegally towards the US. In addition, Reuters also reported that Mexico was working to better regulate the movement of people along the border with Guatemala.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-caught-a-huge-number-of-migrants-at-mexico-border-in-march-report-says-375108" hreflang="en">US caught a huge number of migrants at Mexico border in March, report says</a>

Mexico has deployed members of the National Guard along with soldiers from the immigrant office and the navy.

By March 22, Mexico claimed to have 9,000 troops across the border from its defence ministry, its navy and the National Guard stationed across northern and southern borders. A member of the Mexican National Guard had said that the force’s daily arrests had doubled over the last few weeks.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/traffickers-are-dropping-children-over-us-mexico-border-wall-374707" hreflang="en">Traffickers are dropping children over US-Mexico border wall</a>

Before Joe Biden took office as US president in January, Guatemalan authorities had stopped a US-bound caravan of migrants. Honduras has done the same to tackle the issue.

White House aide Tyler Moran had said in March that the White House has agreements with Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala to deploy more troops along their borders.

(With inputs from agencies)

Mexico has reportedly doubled the detention of migrants after deploying 10,000 troops across the southern border, White House recently said. Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary, on Monday announced the move as US counts on local governments to slow down arrivals at the US border.

Mexico has reportedly doubled the detention of migrants after deploying 10,000 troops across the southern border, White House recently said. Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary, on Monday announced the move as US counts on local governments to slow down arrivals at the US border. Earlier in March, Mexico had began upping its enforcement operations to catch immigrants attempting to leave the country illegally towards the US. In addition, Reuters also reported that Mexico was working to better regulate the movement of people along the border with Guatemala. Also read: US caught a huge number of migrants at Mexico border in March, report says Mexico has deployed members of the National Guard along with soldiers from the immigrant office and the navy. By March 22, Mexico claimed to have 9,000 troops across the border from its defence ministry, its navy and the National Guard stationed across northern and southern borders. A member of the Mexican National Guard had said that the force’s daily arrests had doubled over the last few weeks. Also read: Traffickers are dropping children over US-Mexico border wall Before Joe Biden took office as US president in January, Guatemalan authorities had stopped a US-bound caravan of migrants. Honduras has done the same to tackle the issue. White House aide Tyler Moran had said in March that the White House has agreements with Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala to deploy more troops along their borders. (With inputs from agencies)

Mexican troops have doubled detention of migrants heading to US: White House

Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign, the Mexican authorities have distributed over 9.6 million doses of vaccines, mainly among the elderly and doctors.

Mexico authorizes emergency use of India's Covaxin

A congressional candidate in Mexico has launched the world’s most uncanny election campaign…. in a coffin.

Carlos Mayorga, a lower house candidate from the party called “Encuentro Solidario” on Tuesday began his campaign from a coffin to highlight the deaths caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

<img alt="Mexico elections" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0eecc9a2-6940-45da-932a-16cd19bd58b7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2_44.jpg" />

The candidate also paid homage to the victims of cartel-related violence, which remains a major problem in Mexico. Mayorga was cited by AFP as saying that with this stunt he wanted to send a message to politicians who had allowed the bloodshed to continue “because of their indifference”.

On Tuesday, Mayorga arrived at a campaign rally in a golden casket on a bridge which connects the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez with El Paso in Texas, US. The coffin was surrounded by his aides donning personal protection kits given the ongoing pandemic.&nbsp;

<img alt="cc" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="00abf1bc-cbe2-4c01-a531-110720d6619c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/3_36.jpg" />

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-caught-a-huge-number-of-migrants-at-mexico-border-in-march-report-says-375108" hreflang="en">US caught a huge number of migrants at Mexico border in March, report says</a>

Mexico has recorded 200,000 deaths so far - one of the highest death tolls in the world. “[Politicians] have remained silent about the high levels of organized crime. They have remained silent about the chaotic Covid situation," Mayorga was quoted by AFP as saying.

After the military’s war on drugs began in 2006, over 300,000 people have been murdered in Mexico as per government data.

<img alt="ss" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ebc11562-a49a-4b41-90f9-40ddac769924" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1_56.jpg" />

The country is set to host midterm elections in June, which has led to more murders in the country. So far, 16 candidates in the country have been killed, highlighting the dire situation in terms of cartel-related violence.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/traffickers-are-dropping-children-over-us-mexico-border-wall-374707" hreflang="en">Traffickers are dropping children over US-Mexico border wall</a>

(Images and inputs from AFP)

A congressional candidate in Mexico has launched the world’s most uncanny election campaign…. in a coffin. Carlos Mayorga, a lower house candidate from the party called “Encuentro Solidario” on Tuesday began his campaign from a coffin to highlight the deaths caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

A congressional candidate in Mexico has launched the world’s most uncanny election campaign…. in a coffin. Carlos Mayorga, a lower house candidate from the party called “Encuentro Solidario” on Tuesday began his campaign from a coffin to highlight the deaths caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The candidate also paid homage to the victims of cartel-related violence, which remains a major problem in Mexico. Mayorga was cited by AFP as saying that with this stunt he wanted to send a message to politicians who had allowed the bloodshed to continue “because of their indifference”. On Tuesday, Mayorga arrived at a campaign rally in a golden casket on a bridge which connects the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez with El Paso in Texas, US. The coffin was surrounded by his aides donning personal protection kits given the ongoing pandemic. Also read: US caught a huge number of migrants at Mexico border in March, report says Mexico has recorded 200,000 deaths so far - one of the highest death tolls in the world. “[Politicians] have remained silent about the high levels of organized crime. They have remained silent about the chaotic Covid situation," Mayorga was quoted by AFP as saying. After the military’s war on drugs began in 2006, over 300,000 people have been murdered in Mexico as per government data. The country is set to host midterm elections in June, which has led to more murders in the country. So far, 16 candidates in the country have been killed, highlighting the dire situation in terms of cartel-related violence. Also read: Traffickers are dropping children over US-Mexico border wall (Images and inputs from AFP)

In pics: Why this Mexican election candidate kickstarted his campaign from a coffin

A Salvadoran woman who died at the hands of Mexican police was buried Sunday in the southwest of El Salvador, in the presence of family and close friends.

The coffin of Victoria Salazar was driven in a white car from a funeral home in Sonsonate, 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of San Salvador, to a private cemetery in La Generosa, on the outskirts of the city.

"The family gave Victoria a Christian burial today, and close friends attended the funeral," a spokesman for the presidential office, which helped Salazar's family repatriate her body from Mexico, told AFP.

Salazar's body was repatriated from Mexico on Saturday. Her mother and her two daughters, aged 15 and 16, accompanied the body. Her family has asked that her death not go unpunished.

The 36-year-old victim, who had lived in Mexico for five years, died on March 27 after being subdued by police officers in Tulum, a Caribbean resort.&nbsp;

The state prosecutor there said the police used "disproportionate force" against Salazar, which caused a fatal spine fracture.

On Saturday, the prosecutor's office said that four police officers accused of being involved in Salazar's death were formally charged after being arrested on the day of the event.

The judge in charge of the case determined the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to "prove the probable participation of the four policemen in the crime of femicide" and remanded them into custody, according to a press release.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has called for those responsible to face justice.

The Archbishop of San Salvador, Jose Luis Escobar, lamented Salazar's death during a press conference Sunday and urged the governments of El Salvador, Mexico and the United States to defend and respect "the rights of migrants."

 
&nbsp;

A Salvadoran woman who died at the hands of Mexican police was buried Sunday in the southwest of El Salvador, in the presence of family and close friends. The coffin of Victoria Salazar was driven in a white car from a funeral home in Sonsonate, 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of San Salvador, to a private cemetery in La Generosa, on the outskirts of the city.

A Salvadoran woman who died at the hands of Mexican police was buried Sunday in the southwest of El Salvador, in the presence of family and close friends. The coffin of Victoria Salazar was driven in a white car from a funeral home in Sonsonate, 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of San Salvador, to a private cemetery in La Generosa, on the outskirts of the city. "The family gave Victoria a Christian burial today, and close friends attended the funeral," a spokesman for the presidential office, which helped Salazar's family repatriate her body from Mexico, told AFP. Salazar's body was repatriated from Mexico on Saturday. Her mother and her two daughters, aged 15 and 16, accompanied the body. Her family has asked that her death not go unpunished. The 36-year-old victim, who had lived in Mexico for five years, died on March 27 after being subdued by police officers in Tulum, a Caribbean resort. The state prosecutor there said the police used "disproportionate force" against Salazar, which caused a fatal spine fracture. On Saturday, the prosecutor's office said that four police officers accused of being involved in Salazar's death were formally charged after being arrested on the day of the event. The judge in charge of the case determined the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to "prove the probable participation of the four policemen in the crime of femicide" and remanded them into custody, according to a press release. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has called for those responsible to face justice. The Archbishop of San Salvador, Jose Luis Escobar, lamented Salazar's death during a press conference Sunday and urged the governments of El Salvador, Mexico and the United States to defend and respect "the rights of migrants."

Funeral held for Salvadoran killed by Mexican police

US authorities caught more than 171,000 migrants at the border with Mexico in March -- the highest monthly total in two decades and the latest sign of the mounting humanitarian challenge confronting President Joe Biden.

According to a report published in Reuters news agency, the preliminary March arrest totals at the US-Mexico border represent the highest monthly level since April 2000, when border patrol agents caught more than 180,000 migrants.

The total includes about 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children and 53,000 family members traveling together, the figures show. Single adults made up roughly 99,000 of the total.

The Biden administration is struggling to house newly arrived unaccompanied children, who are exempted from expulsion under a COVID-19 health order known as Title 42. Children have been backed up in crowded border stations and processing centers for days.

The shelter system that houses the children has been overwhelmed and US officials have scrambled in recent weeks to open emergency shelters, including sites in convention centers in Dallas and San Diego.

Meanwhile, the March figures show a 178 per cent increase in the number of migrant families caught at the border compared with last month.

More than half of the 19,000 family members caught at the border in February were not expelled, according to public US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, with many released into the United States to pursue immigration court cases.

(with inputs)

US authorities caught more than 171,000 migrants at the border with Mexico in March -- the highest monthly total in two decades and the latest sign of the mounting humanitarian challenge confronting President Joe Biden.

US authorities caught more than 171,000 migrants at the border with Mexico in March -- the highest monthly total in two decades and the latest sign of the mounting humanitarian challenge confronting President Joe Biden. According to a report published in Reuters news agency, the preliminary March arrest totals at the US-Mexico border represent the highest monthly level since April 2000, when border patrol agents caught more than 180,000 migrants. The total includes about 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children and 53,000 family members traveling together, the figures show. Single adults made up roughly 99,000 of the total. The Biden administration is struggling to house newly arrived unaccompanied children, who are exempted from expulsion under a COVID-19 health order known as Title 42. Children have been backed up in crowded border stations and processing centers for days. The shelter system that houses the children has been overwhelmed and US officials have scrambled in recent weeks to open emergency shelters, including sites in convention centers in Dallas and San Diego. Meanwhile, the March figures show a 178 per cent increase in the number of migrant families caught at the border compared with last month. More than half of the 19,000 family members caught at the border in February were not expelled, according to public US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, with many released into the United States to pursue immigration court cases. (with inputs)

US caught a huge number of migrants at Mexico border in March, report says

The US migrant crisis is growing, with hundreds of unaccompanied children held in crowded processing centres. Take a look at one such facility in Texas.

A look inside the condition of children in a migrant processing centre

Outrage grew in Mexico as authorities said that an autopsy of a Salvadoran woman confirmed police broke her neck. 36-year-old Victoria Esperanza Salazar, died after a Mexican female police officer was seen in a video kneeling on her back.

Autopsy confirms Mexico Police broke neck of Salvadoran woman

Mexican prosecutors on Sunday opened a homicide investigation into the death of a Salvadoran woman who was shown on video being pinned to the ground by a female police officer,

George Floyd like incident in Mexico

Mexico`s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is likely at least 60% higher than the confirmed number, putting it in excess of 300,000, according to government data.

Updated figures https://coronavirus.gob.mx/exceso-de-mortalidad-en-mexico on excess mortality in a table published by Mexico`s Health Ministry showed that by the end of the sixth week of this year, 294,287 fatalities "associated with COVID-19" had been registered on death certificates in Mexico.

That was 61.4% higher than the confirmed death toll of 182,301 given as a comparison in the same table.

That figure did not coincide precisely with a specific day from the Health Ministry`s daily bulletins, but more than 25,000 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported since mid-February. As of Sunday, the ministry`s confirmed toll stood at 201,623.

The government has long said Mexico`s real tally of COVID-19 deaths is likely significantly higher than the confirmed toll, which is one of the highest worldwide.

Relatively low testing rates in Mexico mean that many fatalities are not confirmed, but they may still appear in death certificates as suspected cases, experts say.

The higher death toll estimate was based on a word search of death certificates that mentioned "COVID-19" and other terms relating to the pandemic, the ministry said.

Total excess deaths in Mexico during the pandemic stood at 417,002 by the sixth week of 2021, according to the data.

Mexico`s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is likely at least 60% higher than the confirmed number, putting it in excess of 300,000, according to government data.

Mexico`s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic is likely at least 60% higher than the confirmed number, putting it in excess of 300,000, according to government data. Updated figures https://coronavirus.gob.mx/exceso-de-mortalidad-en-mexico on excess mortality in a table published by Mexico`s Health Ministry showed that by the end of the sixth week of this year, 294,287 fatalities "associated with COVID-19" had been registered on death certificates in Mexico. That was 61.4% higher than the confirmed death toll of 182,301 given as a comparison in the same table. That figure did not coincide precisely with a specific day from the Health Ministry`s daily bulletins, but more than 25,000 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported since mid-February. As of Sunday, the ministry`s confirmed toll stood at 201,623. The government has long said Mexico`s real tally of COVID-19 deaths is likely significantly higher than the confirmed toll, which is one of the highest worldwide. Relatively low testing rates in Mexico mean that many fatalities are not confirmed, but they may still appear in death certificates as suspected cases, experts say. The higher death toll estimate was based on a word search of death certificates that mentioned "COVID-19" and other terms relating to the pandemic, the ministry said. Total excess deaths in Mexico during the pandemic stood at 417,002 by the sixth week of 2021, according to the data.

Mexico says COVID-19 deaths likely 60% higher than confirmed toll

Mexican prosecutors have opened a homicide investigation into the death of a woman who was shown on video being pinned to the ground by a female police officer.

A video published by news site Noticaribe showed the woman squirming and crying out as she lay face down on a road with a policewoman kneeling on her back while male officers stood by.

The video then cut to show the unidentified woman's prone, handcuffed body lying on the road. Officers are later seen moving the limp, shoeless body into the back of a police truck.

Police were "probably" involved in her death, the attorney general's office of the state of Quintana Roo said in a statement following the woman's death on Saturday in the Caribbean beach resort of Tulum.

A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office said it was not clear why the woman had been detained and that the cause of her death was still under investigation.&nbsp;

Three male officers and one female officer had so far been questioned.

The National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence Against Women (CONAVIM) condemned the incident on Twitter and said those responsible must be held to account.

Also, Alejandro Encinas, deputy interior minister responsible for human rights, called the incident an act of "police abuse."

The case took prominence as it bore similarity to that of George Floyd, an African-American man whose death in May as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck sparked racial justice protests in the United States and around the world.

Mexican prosecutors have opened a homicide investigation into the death of a woman who was shown on video being pinned to the ground by a female police officer. A video published by news site Noticaribe showed the woman squirming and crying out as she lay face down on a road with a policewoman kneeling on her back while male officers stood by.

Mexican prosecutors have opened a homicide investigation into the death of a woman who was shown on video being pinned to the ground by a female police officer. A video published by news site Noticaribe showed the woman squirming and crying out as she lay face down on a road with a policewoman kneeling on her back while male officers stood by. The video then cut to show the unidentified woman's prone, handcuffed body lying on the road. Officers are later seen moving the limp, shoeless body into the back of a police truck. Police were "probably" involved in her death, the attorney general's office of the state of Quintana Roo said in a statement following the woman's death on Saturday in the Caribbean beach resort of Tulum. A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office said it was not clear why the woman had been detained and that the cause of her death was still under investigation. Three male officers and one female officer had so far been questioned. The National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence Against Women (CONAVIM) condemned the incident on Twitter and said those responsible must be held to account. Also, Alejandro Encinas, deputy interior minister responsible for human rights, called the incident an act of "police abuse." The case took prominence as it bore similarity to that of George Floyd, an African-American man whose death in May as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck sparked racial justice protests in the United States and around the world.

Mexico opens probe into death of woman shown pinned to ground by police

The Mexican health ministry released the data Saturday that raised the country’s COVID death count to more than 321,000.

New wave of Covid-19 turns deadly for Mexico

Senior White House officials kick their visit to Mexico and Guatemala. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has urged Washington to help spur development in Central America to tackle the root causes of illegal immigration.

US Migrant Crisis: Mexico urges White House to spur development

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout and the impact of the United States’ $1.9 trillion stimulus package should boost the economy, said Finance Minister Arturo Herrera

'Mexico's economy could grow over 5%', hints Finance Ministry

US officials will ask authorities in Mexico and Guatemala to help stem migrant traffic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, as the Biden administration struggles to contain a burgeoning humanitarian challenge along the US border with Mexico.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden dispatched US envoys, including White House border coordinator Roberta Jacobson, to the two countries on Monday for talks on how to manage the increase in the number of migrants heading for the US-Mexican border.&nbsp;

When asked if the US delegation would seek support from local officials, Psaki told a news briefing, "Absolutely, part of our objective as Roberta Jacobson...conveyed when she was in here just a few weeks ago, was that we need to work in partnership with these countries to address the root causes in their countries to convey clearly and systematically that this is not the time to travel."&nbsp;

Jacobson was joined by Juan Gonzalez, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Western Hemisphere, and Honduran-born diplomat Ricardo Zuniga, just appointed by the State Department as the Northern Triangle special envoy.&nbsp;

Gonzalez will continue to Guatemala to meet Guatemalan officials, as well as representatives from civil society and non-governmental organisations.&nbsp;

Biden’s promise to end former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies has been complicated by a recent spike in the number of migrants crossing the border illegally.&nbsp;

The increase in the number of migrants fleeing violence, natural disasters and economic hardship in Central America is testing Biden’s commitment to a more humane immigration policy.&nbsp;

White House spokeswoman Emily Horne said Jacobson's goal in Mexico is developing 'an effective and humane plan of action to manage migration'.&nbsp;

The visit was also announced by Mexico's foreign ministry, which said the talks would take place on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Gonzalez' aim in Guatemala is to ''address root causes of migration in the region and build a more hopeful future in the region," Horne said.&nbsp;

US officials are struggling to house and process an increasing number of unaccompanied children, many of whom have been stuck in jail-like border stations for days while they await placement in overwhelmed government-run shelters.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US officials will ask authorities in Mexico and Guatemala to help stem migrant traffic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, as the Biden administration struggles to contain a burgeoning humanitarian challenge along the US border with Mexico.

US officials will ask authorities in Mexico and Guatemala to help stem migrant traffic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, as the Biden administration struggles to contain a burgeoning humanitarian challenge along the US border with Mexico. President Joe Biden dispatched US envoys, including White House border coordinator Roberta Jacobson, to the two countries on Monday for talks on how to manage the increase in the number of migrants heading for the US-Mexican border. When asked if the US delegation would seek support from local officials, Psaki told a news briefing, "Absolutely, part of our objective as Roberta Jacobson...conveyed when she was in here just a few weeks ago, was that we need to work in partnership with these countries to address the root causes in their countries to convey clearly and systematically that this is not the time to travel." Jacobson was joined by Juan Gonzalez, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Western Hemisphere, and Honduran-born diplomat Ricardo Zuniga, just appointed by the State Department as the Northern Triangle special envoy. Gonzalez will continue to Guatemala to meet Guatemalan officials, as well as representatives from civil society and non-governmental organisations. Biden’s promise to end former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies has been complicated by a recent spike in the number of migrants crossing the border illegally. The increase in the number of migrants fleeing violence, natural disasters and economic hardship in Central America is testing Biden’s commitment to a more humane immigration policy. White House spokeswoman Emily Horne said Jacobson's goal in Mexico is developing 'an effective and humane plan of action to manage migration'. The visit was also announced by Mexico's foreign ministry, which said the talks would take place on Tuesday. Gonzalez' aim in Guatemala is to ''address root causes of migration in the region and build a more hopeful future in the region," Horne said. US officials are struggling to house and process an increasing number of unaccompanied children, many of whom have been stuck in jail-like border stations for days while they await placement in overwhelmed government-run shelters. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden sends envoys to Mexico, Guatemala for help on migrant flow 

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck central Mexico on Friday, seismologists said, triggering alarms in the capital where anxious residents poured into the streets.

Despite the panic, there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.

The quake struck 59 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of San Marcos in Guerrero state at a depth of 19 kilometers, according to the national seismology service.

The tremor triggered Mexico City's alarm system, which uses seismic monitors to give residents advance warning of a quake.

But in the end it was barely felt in the capital, where city authorities said there were no reports of damage.

In the resort of Acapulco, located in Guerrero state closer to the epicenter, the tremor was felt more strongly, causing tourists to flee their hotels.

"It caught us off guard and we panicked thinking we should leave urgently but I couldn't get out because one of my daughters was taking a bath," said Virginia Hernandez, a tourist from Mexico City.

Mexico is frequently shaken by earthquakes, particularly along its Pacific coast.

In 2017 the capital was hit by a 7.1 magnitude tremor that toppled buildings and left 370 people dead and thousands injured throughout the country.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck central Mexico on Friday, seismologists said, triggering alarms in the capital where anxious residents poured into the streets.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck central Mexico on Friday, seismologists said, triggering alarms in the capital where anxious residents poured into the streets. Despite the panic, there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage. The quake struck 59 kilometers (37 miles) southeast of San Marcos in Guerrero state at a depth of 19 kilometers, according to the national seismology service. The tremor triggered Mexico City's alarm system, which uses seismic monitors to give residents advance warning of a quake. But in the end it was barely felt in the capital, where city authorities said there were no reports of damage. In the resort of Acapulco, located in Guerrero state closer to the epicenter, the tremor was felt more strongly, causing tourists to flee their hotels. "It caught us off guard and we panicked thinking we should leave urgently but I couldn't get out because one of my daughters was taking a bath," said Virginia Hernandez, a tourist from Mexico City. Mexico is frequently shaken by earthquakes, particularly along its Pacific coast. In 2017 the capital was hit by a 7.1 magnitude tremor that toppled buildings and left 370 people dead and thousands injured throughout the country.

5.7 magnitude quake rattles Mexico

The United States plans to send millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Mexico and Canada, the White House said Thursday, a notable step into vaccine diplomacy just as the Biden administration is quietly pressing Mexico to curb the stream of migrants coming to the border.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the United States was planning to share 2.5 million doses of the vaccine with Mexico and 1.5 million with Canada, adding that it was “not finalized yet, but that is our aim.”

Tens of millions of doses of the vaccine have been sitting in U.S. manufacturing sites. While their use has already been approved in dozens of countries, including Mexico and Canada, the vaccine has not yet been authorized by U.S. regulators. Psaki said the shipments to Mexico and Canada would essentially be a loan, with the United States receiving doses of AstraZeneca, or other vaccines, in the future.

The announcement of the vaccine distribution came at a critical time in negotiations with Mexico. President Joe Biden has moved quickly to dismantle some of former President Donald Trump’s signature immigration policies, halting the construction of a border wall, stopping the swift expulsion of children at the border and proposing a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants in the United States.

But he is clinging to a central element of Trump’s agenda: relying on Mexico to restrain a wave of people making their way to the United States.

Anticipating a surge of migrants and the most apprehensions by U.S. agents at the border in two decades, Biden asked President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico in a video call this month whether more could be done to help solve the problem, according to Mexican officials and another person briefed on the conversation.

The two presidents also discussed the possibility of the United States sending Mexico some of its surplus vaccine supply, a senior Mexican official said. Mexico has publicly asked the Biden administration to send it doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

At a news briefing Thursday, Psaki said that the discussions over vaccines and border security between the United States and Mexico were “unrelated” but also “overlapping.”

Asked by a reporter if the United States had “strings attached” to its offer to lend vaccines to Mexico, Psaki replied that there were “several diplomatic conversations — parallel conversations — many layers of conversations” at play in the discussions.

“There’s rarely just one issue you’re discussing with any country at one time,” Psaki said. “Certainly that’s not the case with Mexico. It’s not the case with any country around the world. And so I wouldn’t read into it more than our ability to provide — to lend — vaccine doses.”

Mexican officials also say the efforts to secure vaccines are separate from the negotiations over migration and rejected the notion that a quid pro quo was involved.

“These are two separate issues,” Roberto Velasco, director-general for the North America region at Mexico’s foreign ministry, said in a statement, referring to the engagement between the two countries on migration and vaccines.

But Mexican officials acknowledge that relations between the United States and Mexico, which has suffered one of the world’s deadliest coronavirus epidemics, would be buoyed by a shipment of doses south.

“We look for a more humane migratory system and enhanced cooperation against COVID-19 for the benefit of our two countries and the region,” Velasco added.

Several European countries suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine this week, a precaution because some people who had received the shot later developed blood clots and severe bleeding. But Thursday, Europe’s drug regulator declared the vaccine safe. AstraZeneca has also said that a review of 17 million people who received the vaccine found they were less likely than others to develop dangerous clots.

A Biden administration official declined to comment further on the negotiations with Mexico but noted that both countries shared a common goal of reducing migration by addressing its root causes and said they were working closely to stem the flow of people streaming to the border.

The Biden administration is facing intense pressure, scrambling to find shelter space for a growing number of migrant children and teenagers held in U.S. detention facilities along the border.

More than 4,500 of them were stuck in detention facilities as of Thursday, with the Biden administration working on putting them in a convention center in Dallas; a former camp for oil workers in Midland, Texas; and possibly a NASA site in California.

The administration has also identified nearly a dozen other sites, including Defense Department facilities, to potentially house the children and teenagers until they can be placed with a sponsor, according to a government document from March obtained by The New York Times. One of the sites — in Pecos, Texas — could hold 2,000 beds.

Mexico has agreed to increase its presence on its southern border with Guatemala to deter migration from Central America, one of the government officials said, and local Mexican officials say their country has recently stepped up efforts to stop migrants on the northern border with the United States as well.

But there are also signs that Mexico’s commitment to policing migration — a central demand of Trump, who wielded the threat of tariffs against all Mexican goods unless migration was curbed — may have flagged in the waning months of the Trump administration.

From October through December 2020, the number of Central Americans apprehended by Mexico declined, while detentions by U.S. agents increased, according to Mexican government numbers and data compiled by The Washington Office on Latin America, a research organization that advocates for human rights.

“The likelihood of the outgoing Trump administration threatening tariffs again was low, so there was an incentive for Mexico to go back to its default state of low apprehensions,” said Adam Isacson, an expert on border security at The Washington Office on Latin America.

The Biden administration’s appeal to do more against migration has put Mexico in a difficult position. While Trump strong-armed Mexico into militarizing the border, some Mexican officials argue that his harsh policies may have at times helped lessen their load by deterring migrants from attempting to make the journey north.

Biden is less likely to resort to threats of tariffs to get his way, officials and analyst say. But now Mexico is being asked to hold the line against a surge of migrants — while the Biden administration is signalling that the United States is more welcoming to migrants.

“They get to look like the good guys, and the Mexicans look like the bad guys,” said Cris Ramón, an immigration consultant based in Washington, D.C.

“All the positive humanitarian policies are being done by the Biden administration.” Ramón added, “and then the Mexicans are left with the dirty work.”

As for Canada, several of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political opponents repeatedly pressed him to lobby the new Biden administration for the release of vaccines. Many Canadians have expressed dismay that the United States had not shared any supplies with Canada, where no coronavirus vaccines are manufactured.

Until Thursday, all of Canada’s vaccine supply had come from Europe or India, and Canada’s rollout has proceeded at a slow pace compared with the United States and many other countries.

“God bless America; they’re coming to our rescue,” Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, told a news conference.

While the Biden administration has committed to helping a major vaccine manufacturer in India, the United States has fallen far behind China, India and Russia in the race to use vaccines as diplomatic tools.

Beijing is shipping vaccines to dozens of countries, including some in Africa and Latin America. Russia has supplied its vaccine to Hungary and Slovakia. Biden has also drawn criticism for not making it easier for poorer countries to gain access to generic versions of coronavirus vaccines and treatments.

With Mexico, the Biden administration has been urging the country to accept more families expelled by U.S. authorities and to increase enforcement at Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, according to two Mexican officials and two others briefed on the discussions.

López Obrador is also trying to find a way to increase capacity to house migrants in shelters, which are bursting at the seams. In a statement Tuesday, the secretary for homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, said he was working with Mexico to do that.

“Shelters are at a near collapse,” said Enrique Valenzuela, a lead coordinator for the government of Chihuahua state’s migration efforts.

Local government officials in Ciudad Juárez and shelter operators say Mexico is dialling up operations to capture and deport migrants along the northern border. On a nearly daily basis, two of them said, Mexican authorities are stopping vans stuffed with families and pickup trucks carrying livestock — along with migrants crouching on the floor to avoid detection.

Part of the reason Mexico is willing to continue cracking down is that, despite being a country that has long sent people north, there is a lot of resentment toward Central American migrants.

“The level of negative attitudes that we have toward migrant flows has gone up, so there won’t be a political cost” for López Obrador, said Tonatiuh Guillén, who ran Mexico’s National Migration Institute in the first half of 2019. “But with Trump, we negotiated nothing; we gave them a lot, and they didn’t give us anything back,” he added, arguing that the strategy should be different with Biden.

Despite the very public tensions with Mexico under Trump, López Obrador has been wary of the Biden administration, concerned that it might be more willing to interfere on domestic issues like labour rights or the environment.

Instead, several Mexican officials say, his government has pushed the United States to deter Central Americans from migrating by sending humanitarian aid to Honduras and Guatemala in the wake of two hurricanes that devastated those countries and, many experts believe, pushed even more people to migrate.

Mexican officials have also asked the United States to send more Hondurans and Guatemalans apprehended in the United States directly to their home countries rather than releasing them to Mexico, making it even harder for them to try to cross the border again.

The need for vaccines in Mexico is clear.

About 200,000 people have died in Mexico from the virus — the third-highest death toll in the world — and the country has been relatively slow to vaccinate its population. That poses a potential political risk for López Obrador, whose party is heading into elections in June that will determine whether the president hangs onto control of the Legislature.

“Mexico needs cooperation from the U.S. in getting its economy jump-started and getting vaccines to get out of the health crisis,” said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington. “So there’s room for the two countries to reach agreements based on aligned interests rather than overt threats.”

The United States plans to send millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Mexico and Canada, the White House said Thursday, a notable step into vaccine diplomacy just as the Biden administration is quietly pressing Mexico to curb the stream of migrants coming to the border.

The United States plans to send millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Mexico and Canada, the White House said Thursday, a notable step into vaccine diplomacy just as the Biden administration is quietly pressing Mexico to curb the stream of migrants coming to the border. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the United States was planning to share 2.5 million doses of the vaccine with Mexico and 1.5 million with Canada, adding that it was “not finalized yet, but that is our aim.” Tens of millions of doses of the vaccine have been sitting in U.S. manufacturing sites. While their use has already been approved in dozens of countries, including Mexico and Canada, the vaccine has not yet been authorized by U.S. regulators. Psaki said the shipments to Mexico and Canada would essentially be a loan, with the United States receiving doses of AstraZeneca, or other vaccines, in the future. The announcement of the vaccine distribution came at a critical time in negotiations with Mexico. President Joe Biden has moved quickly to dismantle some of former President Donald Trump’s signature immigration policies, halting the construction of a border wall, stopping the swift expulsion of children at the border and proposing a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants in the United States. But he is clinging to a central element of Trump’s agenda: relying on Mexico to restrain a wave of people making their way to the United States. Anticipating a surge of migrants and the most apprehensions by U.S. agents at the border in two decades, Biden asked President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico in a video call this month whether more could be done to help solve the problem, according to Mexican officials and another person briefed on the conversation. The two presidents also discussed the possibility of the United States sending Mexico some of its surplus vaccine supply, a senior Mexican official said. Mexico has publicly asked the Biden administration to send it doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. At a news briefing Thursday, Psaki said that the discussions over vaccines and border security between the United States and Mexico were “unrelated” but also “overlapping.” Asked by a reporter if the United States had “strings attached” to its offer to lend vaccines to Mexico, Psaki replied that there were “several diplomatic conversations — parallel conversations — many layers of conversations” at play in the discussions. “There’s rarely just one issue you’re discussing with any country at one time,” Psaki said. “Certainly that’s not the case with Mexico. It’s not the case with any country around the world. And so I wouldn’t read into it more than our ability to provide — to lend — vaccine doses.” Mexican officials also say the efforts to secure vaccines are separate from the negotiations over migration and rejected the notion that a quid pro quo was involved. “These are two separate issues,” Roberto Velasco, director-general for the North America region at Mexico’s foreign ministry, said in a statement, referring to the engagement between the two countries on migration and vaccines. But Mexican officials acknowledge that relations between the United States and Mexico, which has suffered one of the world’s deadliest coronavirus epidemics, would be buoyed by a shipment of doses south. “We look for a more humane migratory system and enhanced cooperation against COVID-19 for the benefit of our two countries and the region,” Velasco added. Several European countries suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine this week, a precaution because some people who had received the shot later developed blood clots and severe bleeding. But Thursday, Europe’s drug regulator declared the vaccine safe. AstraZeneca has also said that a review of 17 million people who received the vaccine found they were less likely than others to develop dangerous clots. A Biden administration official declined to comment further on the negotiations with Mexico but noted that both countries shared a common goal of reducing migration by addressing its root causes and said they were working closely to stem the flow of people streaming to the border. The Biden administration is facing intense pressure, scrambling to find shelter space for a growing number of migrant children and teenagers held in U.S. detention facilities along the border. More than 4,500 of them were stuck in detention facilities as of Thursday, with the Biden administration working on putting them in a convention center in Dallas; a former camp for oil workers in Midland, Texas; and possibly a NASA site in California. The administration has also identified nearly a dozen other sites, including Defense Department facilities, to potentially house the children and teenagers until they can be placed with a sponsor, according to a government document from March obtained by The New York Times. One of the sites — in Pecos, Texas — could hold 2,000 beds. Mexico has agreed to increase its presence on its southern border with Guatemala to deter migration from Central America, one of the government officials said, and local Mexican officials say their country has recently stepped up efforts to stop migrants on the northern border with the United States as well. But there are also signs that Mexico’s commitment to policing migration — a central demand of Trump, who wielded the threat of tariffs against all Mexican goods unless migration was curbed — may have flagged in the waning months of the Trump administration. From October through December 2020, the number of Central Americans apprehended by Mexico declined, while detentions by U.S. agents increased, according to Mexican government numbers and data compiled by The Washington Office on Latin America, a research organization that advocates for human rights. “The likelihood of the outgoing Trump administration threatening tariffs again was low, so there was an incentive for Mexico to go back to its default state of low apprehensions,” said Adam Isacson, an expert on border security at The Washington Office on Latin America. The Biden administration’s appeal to do more against migration has put Mexico in a difficult position. While Trump strong-armed Mexico into militarizing the border, some Mexican officials argue that his harsh policies may have at times helped lessen their load by deterring migrants from attempting to make the journey north. Biden is less likely to resort to threats of tariffs to get his way, officials and analyst say. But now Mexico is being asked to hold the line against a surge of migrants — while the Biden administration is signalling that the United States is more welcoming to migrants. “They get to look like the good guys, and the Mexicans look like the bad guys,” said Cris Ramón, an immigration consultant based in Washington, D.C. “All the positive humanitarian policies are being done by the Biden administration.” Ramón added, “and then the Mexicans are left with the dirty work.” As for Canada, several of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political opponents repeatedly pressed him to lobby the new Biden administration for the release of vaccines. Many Canadians have expressed dismay that the United States had not shared any supplies with Canada, where no coronavirus vaccines are manufactured. Until Thursday, all of Canada’s vaccine supply had come from Europe or India, and Canada’s rollout has proceeded at a slow pace compared with the United States and many other countries. “God bless America; they’re coming to our rescue,” Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, told a news conference. While the Biden administration has committed to helping a major vaccine manufacturer in India, the United States has fallen far behind China, India and Russia in the race to use vaccines as diplomatic tools. Beijing is shipping vaccines to dozens of countries, including some in Africa and Latin America. Russia has supplied its vaccine to Hungary and Slovakia. Biden has also drawn criticism for not making it easier for poorer countries to gain access to generic versions of coronavirus vaccines and treatments. With Mexico, the Biden administration has been urging the country to accept more families expelled by U.S. authorities and to increase enforcement at Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, according to two Mexican officials and two others briefed on the discussions. López Obrador is also trying to find a way to increase capacity to house migrants in shelters, which are bursting at the seams. In a statement Tuesday, the secretary for homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, said he was working with Mexico to do that. “Shelters are at a near collapse,” said Enrique Valenzuela, a lead coordinator for the government of Chihuahua state’s migration efforts. Local government officials in Ciudad Juárez and shelter operators say Mexico is dialling up operations to capture and deport migrants along the northern border. On a nearly daily basis, two of them said, Mexican authorities are stopping vans stuffed with families and pickup trucks carrying livestock — along with migrants crouching on the floor to avoid detection. Part of the reason Mexico is willing to continue cracking down is that, despite being a country that has long sent people north, there is a lot of resentment toward Central American migrants. “The level of negative attitudes that we have toward migrant flows has gone up, so there won’t be a political cost” for López Obrador, said Tonatiuh Guillén, who ran Mexico’s National Migration Institute in the first half of 2019. “But with Trump, we negotiated nothing; we gave them a lot, and they didn’t give us anything back,” he added, arguing that the strategy should be different with Biden. Despite the very public tensions with Mexico under Trump, López Obrador has been wary of the Biden administration, concerned that it might be more willing to interfere on domestic issues like labour rights or the environment. Instead, several Mexican officials say, his government has pushed the United States to deter Central Americans from migrating by sending humanitarian aid to Honduras and Guatemala in the wake of two hurricanes that devastated those countries and, many experts believe, pushed even more people to migrate. Mexican officials have also asked the United States to send more Hondurans and Guatemalans apprehended in the United States directly to their home countries rather than releasing them to Mexico, making it even harder for them to try to cross the border again. The need for vaccines in Mexico is clear. About 200,000 people have died in Mexico from the virus — the third-highest death toll in the world — and the country has been relatively slow to vaccinate its population. That poses a potential political risk for López Obrador, whose party is heading into elections in June that will determine whether the president hangs onto control of the Legislature. “Mexico needs cooperation from the U.S. in getting its economy jump-started and getting vaccines to get out of the health crisis,” said Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington. “So there’s room for the two countries to reach agreements based on aligned interests rather than overt threats.”

US to send millions of vaccine doses to Mexico and Canada

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