Electoral reform/Tesla Could Invest More

Electoral reform. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that the electoral reform will be published in the Official Federal Gazette (DOF) no later than tomorrow.

On Feb. 22 Mexico´s senate approved the reform with 72 votes in favor and 50 against.  According to the new law, the National Electoral Institute´s budget (INE) will be slashed as well as its workers´ salaries, the financing of local electoral offices and the training of polling station officials. Plan B also eliminates INE’s budgetary autonomy, lays off 84.6% of the personnel that work for the National Electoral Service (SPEN) and reduces sanctions for candidates who do not declare their campaign expenses.

Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to protest against the government’s Plan B of the electoral reform. According to Mexico City’s government, around 90,000 people participated in Sunday's protest. Nevertheless, other media sources have reported that more than 500,000 people gathered at the Zocalo, Mexico City's main square. 

Tesla in Mexico. President López Obrador said that during his conversation with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, additional topics were discussed such as the development of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the opening of a possible battery plant in Hidalgo. In addition, the president stressed that they also talked about the Sonora Plan, where Mexico seeks to position itself as a lithium hub.

Global electric car manufacturer Tesla chose Nuevo Leon to build its Gigafactory, which will have an initial investment betweenUS$800 million and US$1 billion. With this , Mexico is moving closer to its goal of developing a strong and attractive lithium value chain. The Gigafactory will produce components for the company's current vehicle models. However, it could later develop new models at a lower cost compared to other car factories. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said that Musk visited three Mexican states to find the best location to build a new factory. In October, Musk visited Nuevo Leon and met with Governor Samuel García and US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar to discuss plans and prospects.

Sowing Life. President López Obrador highlighted there are 4,449,998 farmers in his Sowing Life Program, most of them from marginalized areas who seek to improve their income and stay in the country.

Since 2021, López Obrador's Sowing Life program has been widely promoted to improve the quality of life in Central America and southern Mexico and seeks to create jobs and reactivate local economies by addressing the region's two main problems: rural poverty and environmental degradation. However, according to experts, this is a long-term plan and is not designed to address many of today's problems.