Ovidio Guzmán’s Extradition / COVID-19 Vaccines

Ovidio Guzmán. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that the US government can request the extradition of Ovidio Guzmán, son of the drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, due to an agreement with Mexico. However, López Obrador added that Ovidio Guzmán’s lawyers did not file for an injunction to avoid being tried in the US.

Moreover, López Obrador stated that it is up to the Attorney General's Office to inform if Emma Coronel, wife of “El Chapo,” has any pending legal processes in Mexico. She was released from prison a week ago.

COVID-19 Vaccines. President López Obrador opened the door to the importation of COVID-19 vaccines. "Vaccines can be universally administered to everyone; it is a right that everyone has access to all medications, including vaccines. The right to health is a constitutional right and we have made the commitment to provide medicines, including vaccines, free of charge to those without social security; that is not a problem," he says.

The Mexican government announced last week that it will use over 9 million doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik and the Cuban vaccine Abdala in its COVID-19 booster strategy, as cases have recently increased in the US.

Minister of Health Jorge Alcocer stated that Mexico has secured more than 5.38 million doses of Abdala and that 4 million units of Sputnik are expected to arrive soon. 

Mexico's announcement comes a day after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech against COVID-19, amid a rise in cases and hospitalizations and the emergence of new variants.

In Mexico, 76% of the population has received at least one dose. The country has one of the broadest vaccine portfolios, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, as well as vaccines from Cuba, Russia and China.

Mayan Train. The Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA) reported that the construction of the railway for the Mayan Train stands at 43% completion at segments 5 north, 6 and 7, which have a total length of 553km.

Gustavo Vallejo, Commander of the Engineering Division, SEDENA, specified that the segment connecting Cancun International Airport to Playa del Carmen stands at 43.22% completion. In addition to the railway, three stations and a maintenance base are being built. Moreover, Vallejo stated that in segment 6 of the Tren Maya, from Tulum to Chetumal, the construction stands at 44.12% completion. The segment 7 of the Mayan Train, which runs from Chetumal to Escercega, stands at 44.11% completion.

Meanwhile, Óscar David Lozano, CEO, Mayan Train, reported that 840 complementary works are also being carried out in these three segments. These works include pedestrian crossings, drainage works and electrical installations.

Lozano also mentioned that these projects have generated over 30,000 jobs and the development of 12 archaeological zones in the area, which are being worked on by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).