Pause Santa Lucia Construction: IATA

IATA Regional Vice President for the Americas Peter Cerdá released a statement declaring that development work on the Santa Lucía Airport should be at least temporarily halted given the fact that COVID-19 is likely going to result in a long-term decrease in demand for air travel. In Cerdá’s estimation, this means that all aerospace infrastructure projects need to be reevaluated, since whatever urgency they had is no longer an issue at the moment and this urgency might not return for a while.

Ready for more? Here’s the Week in Infrastructure!

Finsa’s Argüelles Criticizes Infrastructure Projects

Sergio Argüelles, President & CEO of key industrial park developer Finsa, shared his thoughts on Mexico’s infrastructure development in an interview with Expansión. He says he does not believe the Mayan Train or the Dos Bocas Refinery represent the best path towards the recovery of Mexico´s infrastructure sector and economy in general and that different kinds of investments should be detonated instead. 

Bids Published for Second Segment of Mayan Train

Exactly two weeks after the publication of the bids for the construction of the Mayan Train’s first segment, FONATUR has now published the bids for the construction of the train’s second segment. This section will cross the state of Campeche, with a stop in that state’s capital before heading to the border with Yucatan. The bidding companies and consortiums are basically the same for the train’s second segment than for the first, including Carlos Slim’s CICSA, Carlos Hank Rhon’s La Peninsular, Grupo CEMZA and ICA, amongst a total of 15 bidding consortia looking to build the 235km stretch of railroad.  

Redirect Infrastructure Money to COVID-19 Recovery: Federal Judge

Second Baja California District Head Judge José Rivas González issued a ruling instructing the federal government to defund its flagship infrastructure projects and use that money to finance COVID-19 recovery efforts for companies and their employees. Rivas González claims WHO’s recommendations as the basis for this ruling, although any representative of Mexico’s judicial power having jurisdiction over budgeting matters is unprecedented. 

Drought Emergency Conditions Now in Effect: CONAGUA

CONAGUA has activated its preventive measures due to the appearance of drought conditions on a number of Mexico’s key water basins. Mexico’s water infrastructure is currently under the added strain of COVID-19 shutdowns and sanitary measures, such as increased handwashing.