Mayan Train Compared to Transiberian
During an appearance today in the 2020 Digital Tourism Market, FONATUR’s Legal Director Alejandro Varela Arellano was quoted as saying that the Mayan Train “could become a tourist destination in and of itself, in a manner that is comparable to certain trains in Peru, the Orient Express or the Transiberian.” Varela Arellano also announced that the details of the new tender for the train’s fifth segment, which were supposed to be announced on Monday of this week after the previous one was cancelled a few weeks ago, will be announced next week, according to a report from El Universal. Additionally, he explained that the tenders for the construction of segments six and seven will not take place until 2021. Varela Arellano repeated previous claims that about half of the train will run on electric power.
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Oaxaca’s Economy Minister Highlights Isthmus of Tehuantepec
In a piece he penned this week for Mexico Business News, Oaxaca’s Economy Minister Juan Pablo Guzmán Cobián underscored the importance of developing the Tehuantepec Isthmus and its Interoceanic Corridor. Guzmán claimed that “the eyes of investors from all over the world are on Oaxaca,” and he called the Interoceanic Corridor “one of the most ambitious projects to overcome the economic and social inequity of the south-southeast of Mexico.” He also explained that the “corridor will host 10 industrial parks, a rehabilitated train, two ports and two airports, as well as urban developments in the 10 development poles, which will impact 79 municipalities, 33 in Veracruz and 46 in Oaxaca.”
Sheinbaum Reveals 19-S Reconstruction Had to Start from Scratch
During a visit to the Osa Mayor building site last Saturday, in an event to remember the anniversary of the 1985 and 2017 earthquakes, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum pointed out that the previous administration had made no reconstruction work so her administration had to start from scratch. "When we arrived there was not even a census of victims. After a year, we were only given some Excel sheets with addresses, not even with the names and surnames of the people who had lost their homes," Sheinbaum explained to El Heraldo de México. "We had to start practically from scratch, to see who were the victims, who had properties, who did not have properties and to do organizational work with the victims themselves," she continued.
Infrastructure Plan to Be Unveiled in October: AMLO, CCE
At a recent daily morning conference, President López Obrador, accompanied by the leaders of the CCE, announced that the infrastructure plan involving the federal government and the private sector will be revealed in the first week of October. This document was to be presented in February 2020 but was postponed to October.
In November 2019 the National Agreement on Private Sector Infrastructure Investment was released as "a tool to facilitate and accelerate the implementation of projects that could contribute to the growth and development of the country," according to the National Development Plan.
New Raffle, This Time for A Beach in Sinaloa: AMLO
During Tuesday’s daily morning press conference, President López Obrador suggested that his administration could do another raffle, this time for Playa Espíritu, Sinaloa, a beach-front land parcel acquired by the Ministry of Tourism during former President Felipe Calderón's six-year term. “We were thinking of another raffle, since we did so well with the presidential plane raffle,” he said. After claiming that the irregular purchase affected Mazatlan’s development, the president said this land is divided into 5,000 lots, so each winner could have their own lot.
However, after failing to sell every ticket and asking businesses and federal offices to participate in a massive sales effort, the effectiveness of the so-called presidential plane raffle was harshly questioned by opposition parties.