New Health Agreement/Free Trade Agreement With UK

Collaboration Agreement with the IMSS. Governor of Sonora Alfonso Durazo and IMSS General Director Zoé Robledo signed a MX$2.1 billion (US$105.77 million) agreement to address Sonora´s health system deficiencies. “IMSS hospitals will be built in Navajoa with an investment of MX$1,600 (US$80.59 million). Additional hospitals will be built in Guaymas and Río Colorado and two clinics in Ciudad Obregón. I thank the government and the health sector for taking this great step together.”

A month ago, a study powered by IMSS revealed that 15 states, including Sonora, have vast deficiencies in the health sector. According to the report, the states need an additional 33,000 doctors, as well as key equipment and infrastructure. Consequently, the government announced that a plan would be drawn up to improve the health sector at the national level. However, it was also announced that there would be individual investments to address issues in each state.

New Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and UK. The Minister of Economy Tatiana Clouthier announced that negotiations have begun to establish a new Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the United Kingdom (UK). "Thanks to the instructions of the National Development Plan to work on innovation, identification and inclusion, we just started the negotiation of a new Free Trade Agreement between Mexico and the United Kingdom. The new agreement will bring significant gains for both nations.”

Before the United Kingdom left the European Union, it signed a continuation pact with Mexico to continue their commercial relationship based on the European Union-Mexico agreement. However, it has been decided to start the elaboration of an agreement only between the UK and Mexico, which will focus on increasing trade in the financial and digital field. Experts say that the new agreement highlights UK’s intention to increase its relations with the Indo-Pacific countries. Currently, UK wants to be a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in which Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam are members.

Femicides in Sonora. The Governor of Sonora Alfonso Durazo said that thanks to the coordinated effort between state and federal forces, most of the cases of femicide cases in the state have been resolved. "Even though we have been governing for a short time, the changes we have made are noticeable. We are tackling the biggest problems in the state, such as femicides very seriously. With the help of the federal government, we seek to reduce its incidence. We are seeing that our efforts are working.”

Currently, the state of Sonora ranks third nationally for the highest number of femicides, since 2021 it has reported 45 cases. According to the state government, 98.3 percent of cases since 2017 have been resolved. In addition, of the 42 femicide investigations opened in 2021, 39 percent have received a sentencing. Meanwhile, in 1Q22, only four femicides were reported to the State Attorney General's Office, which represents a decrease of 63 percent compared to 1Q21 when there were 11 femicides.