Latest news with #RosaIcelaRodriguez
Washington Post
01-08-2025
- Washington Post
Alleged leader of Mexican kidnapping ring released after nearly 20 years in prison
MEXICO CITY — The alleged leader of an infamous Mexican kidnapping ring walked out of a maximum security prison after nearly 20 years Friday, hours after a judge said there wasn't sufficient evidence to support the charges holding him. Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez on Friday rattled off a list of appeals, injunctions and complaints filed over the years of Israel Vallarta's imprisonment in a case that never arrived at a verdict.
CNN
03-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Mexican president hails first judicial election a ‘complete success' after just 13% turnout
Around 13% of Mexicans likely turned out to vote in the country's first-ever judicial election, Mexico's INE electoral authority said on Monday, as the government hailed a successful process while analysts said the low turnout could undermine an already controversial reform. President Claudia Sheinbaum estimated that some 13 million of around 100 million eligible voters cast ballots on Sunday to elect some 2,600 judges and magistrates, including all nine Supreme Court justices. Counting is set to conclude on June 15, but INE officials estimated the turnout at between 12.57% and 13.32% using a calculation based on several samples taken across the country. Sheinbaum called the process a 'complete success,' citing a free vote and a frugal campaign at a morning press conference. 'Everything can be perfected. We will draw conclusions from yesterday to make improvements for 2027,' she said, pointing to another vote in two years that is scheduled to fill over 1,000 more judicial positions. Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said that 'the voting took place in a climate of peace and tranquility across the length and breadth of the country.' 'Yesterday's turnout at the polls met expectations,' she said. 'It was an innovative process that generated interest among the participants.' Voting in Mexico is not mandatory and there is no minimum turnout required to legitimize an election. Pollsters had warned of poor turnout over boycott calls by the opposition and the complexity of voting for a large number of candidates. Goldman Sachs' chief Latin America economist, Alberto Ramos, said in a note that the low turnout took away from the process' legitimacy, and that the pre-selection process and logistical organization were 'fraught with controversy.' 'The vast majority of the roughly 3,400 candidates were largely unknown, many have limited legal experience and some questionable credentials for the seats they are seeking,' he said. Bradesco analyst Rodolfo Ramos said he thought the turnout was surprisingly low, 'considering Sheinbaum's high approval rating and the fact that the majority of Mexicans were in favor of directly voting for judges.' Sheinbaum, who inherited the judicial election project from her predecessor and mentor, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has backed the vote as a way to democratize justice and root out corruption and nepotism. However, critics say it could remove checks and balances on the executive power and allow for organized crime groups to wield greater influence by running their own candidates. The run-up to the vote had been dominated by a scandal over some of the candidates, including a convicted drug smuggler and a former lawyer of drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. Late on Sunday, Mexico's Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Electoral Crimes said it had received 23 reports of possible electoral crimes related to the elections of nearly 900 positions at the federal-level judiciary.
Kuwait Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Mexico City prepares to welcome millions for 2026 World Cup
MEXICO CITY: Handout released by Mexico City's government showing (L to R) Mexico City Secretary of Tourism Alejandra Frausto, Mexico's Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada, Mexican Tourism Minister Josefina Rodriguez, and Mexico's representative for the organization of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Gabriela Cuevas, posing for a photograph during the presentation of the program and organizing committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico City. – AFP MEXICO CITY: Mexico City is gearing up to welcome more than five million visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whose opening match will be played in the sprawling megacity, authorities said Wednesday. The top football tournament will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada, marking the first time that three countries co-host the event. Three of the 16 venues will be in the Latin American nation, with the central city of Guadalajara and northern industrial hub of Monterrey sharing Mexico's host duties with the capital. Eleven other venues will be in the United States and two in Canada. Mexico's government and city authorities are working together 'to ensure that the experience is safe and smooth,' Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said at a presentation. 'More than five million people are expected to arrive' for the matches in Mexico City, which has around nine million residents and is more than 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level, she said. The iconic Azteca Stadium, which has hosted two FIFA World Cup finals, is on track to be renovated by the time the whistle blows for the opening match on June 11, according to organizers. More than $100 million is being invested in the stadium, its general director Felix Aguirre said, promising that it 'will be ready.' The renovation triggered controversy after the venue was renamed after the bank that funded the work. FIFA ordered the stadium to be referred to as Mexico City Stadium because of its branding rules. Addressing security concerns in a country plagued by criminal violence, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said 40,000 new security cameras would be acquired, bringing the total to 123,000. 'We will be the most video-surveilled city in all of the Americas,' she said. Organizers called for a World Cup free of homophobia, racism and other attacks on civil liberties. FIFA has repeatedly sanctioned Mexico for homophobic chanting by its fans in stadiums. Meanwhile, Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium was among the eight venues announced by FIFA on Wednesday due to stage matches at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. Belo Horizonte, capital Brasilia, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador and Sao Paulo are the other host cities for the first edition of the tournament in South America. All of the stadiums were also used for the 2014 men's World Cup hosted by Brazil. As it was just over a decade ago, when Germany beat Argentina after extra time, the final will be played at the iconic Maracana. 'From samba to frevo, from stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, colour and warmth that only Brazil can offer,' said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. 'The women's game continues to grow at an extraordinary pace, and bringing the tournament to Brazil will inspire a new generation across the continent and beyond,' added FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom. The eight cities were chosen from a list of 12 with Belem, Cuiaba, Manaus and Natal missing out. — AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Mexico City Prepares to Welcome Millions for 2026 World Cup
Mexico City is gearing up to welcome more than five million visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whose opening match will be played in the sprawling megacity, authorities said Wednesday. The top football tournament will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada, marking the first time that three countries co-host the event, reported AFP. Three of the 16 venues will be in the Latin American nation, with the central city of Guadalajara and northern industrial hub of Monterrey sharing Mexico's host duties with the capital. Eleven other venues will be in the United States and two in Canada. Mexico's government and city authorities are working together "to ensure that the experience is safe and smooth," Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said at a presentation. "More than five million people are expected to arrive" for the matches in Mexico City, which has around nine million residents and is more than 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level, she said. The iconic Azteca Stadium, which has hosted two FIFA World Cup finals, is on track to be renovated by the time the whistle blows for the opening match on June 11, according to organizers. More than $100 million is being invested in the stadium, its general director Felix Aguirre said, promising that it "will be ready." The renovation triggered controversy after the venue was renamed after the bank that funded the work. FIFA ordered the stadium to be referred to as Mexico City Stadium because of its branding rules. Addressing security concerns in a country plagued by criminal violence, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said 40,000 new security cameras would be acquired, bringing the total to 123,000. "We will be the most video-surveilled city in all of the Americas," she said. Organizers called for a World Cup free of homophobia, racism and other attacks on civil liberties. FIFA has repeatedly sanctioned Mexico for homophobic chanting by its fans in stadiums.
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Mexico City prepares to welcome millions for 2026 World Cup
Three of the 16 venues will be in Mexico. PHOTO: AFP – Mexico City is gearing up to welcome more than five million visitors for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, whose opening match will be played in the sprawling megacity, authorities said on May 7. The top football tournament will be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada, marking the first time that three countries co-host the event. Three of the 16 venues will be in the Latin American nation, with the central city of Guadalajara and northern industrial hub of Monterrey sharing Mexico's host duties with the capital. Eleven other venues will be in the United States and two in Canada. Mexico's government and city authorities are working together 'to ensure that the experience is safe and smooth,' Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez said at a presentation. 'More than five million people are expected to arrive' for the matches in Mexico City, which has around nine million residents and is more than 2,200 metres above sea level, she said. The iconic Azteca Stadium, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, is on track to be renovated by the time the whistle blows for the opening match on June 11, according to organisers. More than US$100 million (S$129.9 million) is being invested in the stadium, its general director Felix Aguirre said, promising that it 'will be ready.' The renovation triggered controversy after the venue was renamed after the bank that funded the work. Fifa ordered the stadium to be referred to as Mexico City Stadium because of its branding rules. Addressing security concerns in a country plagued by criminal violence, Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said 40,000 new security cameras would be acquired, bringing the total to 123,000. 'We will be the most video-surveilled city in all of the Americas,' she said. Organisers called for a World Cup free of homophobia, racism and other attacks on civil liberties. Fifa has repeatedly sanctioned Mexico for homophobic chanting by its fans in stadiums. Fifa also announced on May 7 that the Maracana Stadium will be one of eight venues across Brazil to host matches at the 2027 Women's World Cup, the first edition to be held in Latin America. In addition to the iconic venue in Rio de Janeiro, the 64 matches of the competition will be played in Belo Horizonte (Mineirao Stadium), Brasilia (National Stadium), Fortaleza (Castelao Arena), Porto Alegre (Beira-Rio Stadium), Recife (Pernambuco Arena), Salvador (Fonte Nova Arena) and Sao Paulo (Itaquera Arena). 'From samba to frevo, from stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, colour and warmth that only Brazil can offer,' said Fifa president Gianni Infantino. 'We will continue to work closely with the selected host cities on the exciting journey ahead of us, creating unforgettable moments in each of their stadiums in 2027, and ensuring that this tournament has a major and widespread positive impact.' The tournament to be played between June 24 and July 25, 2027, will feature 32 participating teams. 'The Fifa Women's World Cup 2027 will mark a historic milestone as the tournament heads to South America for the very first time,' said Fifa general secretary Mattias Grafstrom. 'The women's game continues to grow at an extraordinary pace, and bringing the tournament to Brazil will inspire a new generation across the continent and beyond.' AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
