Pensions to Increase/ INE Advisers/ Duarte and Zerón Extraditions

Presidential Plane Returned to Mexico. President López Obrador explained that the presidential plane was returned to Mexico from the US. He reiterated that a so-called raffle for the plane will be held on Sept. 15. It is expected that next Monday the Director of Banobras and the National Lottery will announce in the morning how many tickets have been sold in total. Finally, López Obrador clarified that the money obtained from the sale of the plane will go to the purchase of medical devices to improve public hospitals. There are already two potential buyers, one offered to pay half in kind with medical devices and the other half with money, while the second buyer has made a money-only offered.

Employers to allocate more resources for their workers' pensions. López Obrador clarified that the pension scheme was already in place and is a universal right of all Mexicans; however, the change is a function of increasing the collections for each worker and giving them the possibility of a decent retirement. The objective of this initiative is to reform the Social Security Law, with the purpose of more than doubling the percentage of workers who reach a pension and thus cover the basic expenses of the elderly in the country. The scheme will be a tripartite contribution between workers, employers and the state. Finally, López Obrador clarified that the employer will absorb the increase, going from the current 5.15 percent to 13.875 percent of the contribution.

New INE advisers must act honestly and impartially. President López Obrador asked the new advisers "not to submit to the parties or the government, to represent the people and to comply with asserting democracy in Mexico." He added that “this is a historical moment where democracy can be asserted as a way of life and government.” Previously, he said, “Mexico did not have a democracy, only flashes of a democracy” due to electoral fraud, the burning of ballot boxes, the purchase of votes and other corrupt events surrounding the political life of the country. He also stressed that he hopes the new democracy will prevail in Mexico and leaves behind the problems of corruption and the lack of transparency the country had in prior elections. 

Ebrard will report on the extraditions of César Duarte and Tomás Zerón. López Obrador explained that Marcelo Ebrard, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will report soon on the extraditions of the former governor of Chihuahua, César Duarte, and the former director of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), Tomás Zerón, who has already been located in Canada. López Obrador explained that "until now we [Government of the Republic, Office of the Public Prosecutor and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] have not faced any obstacle with the requests. In the case of Mr. Duarte, we did not proceed because the files were not well done, but it was fixed in the end."