Meningitis Cases in Tijuana / Grupo México

Meningitis Cases in Tijuana. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador informed that the meningitis outbreak in Tamaulipas was caused by contaminated medicines that were used for anesthesia in several hospitals. The president regretted the casualties and assured that investigations are being carried out. "It was a medicine used as anesthesia for plastic surgeries that was contaminated. It was discovered that it was in bad condition and that it was applied at two private hospitals in Matamoros, Tamaulipas. "

Mexican authorities are working to locate around 400 people, including 80 US nationals, who may be at risk of developing fungal meningitis after receiving medical treatment close to the border. The announcement follows a US warning of severe illnesses and deaths among Americans who had returned from the Mexican city of Matamoros. Two clinics were closed after an American died and seven others were infected. The affected individuals had medical procedures involving epidural injections.

Government Seizes Grupo México Asset. López Obrador assures that the government's actions are not an expropriation and do not violate the law. "What is of the nation cannot be expropriated, it is only a rescue."

The previous week, López Obrador signed a decree declaring 120km of rail, property of Grupo México, of public use, transferring them to the state-owned company Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec. Subsequently, the company's facilities were taken over by elements of the Ministry of the Navy. Grupo México stated there was a contract for the construction of a second route with operational independence that would be handed over to the Ministry. However, the government rescinded the agreement. Grupo México stated that it is still in talks with authorities.

Monster of the Earth. The President announced that after decades, the monument known as Monstruo de la Tierra (Monster of the Earth) has been returned to Mexico. The piece is a monument of the 19th-century that was stolen by traffickers in the middle of the 20th century.    "This very important Olmec piece is already in Mexico. It will be exhibited in Cuernavaca while it returns to the original site from which it was stolen."

Mexican authorities reported that 11,450 goods have been repatriated under López Obrador’s government. According to authorities, the "My Heritage Is Not for Sale" campaign has had a favorable response from collectors, companies, citizens and countries around the world. Italy, Sweden, US, Germany and South Korea are the main countries that have voluntarily returned archeological pieces to Mexico.