A Chilean submarine surprises tourists in Puerto Vallarta

More than 12 thousand refugees with a legal residence permit in Mexico have managed to open a bank account, a fundamental step for their integration into formal employment. The initiative, promoted by Banorte in alliance with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), began in 2022.

Felipe Medina, executive director of Funding at Banorte, pointed out that the main obstacle was the lack of access to an account to deposit payroll. Although the regulations allow opening accounts with CURP and immigration documents, in practice many branches did not recognize this documentation.

“There were people who already wanted to work, join formal employment and could not find an account that would allow them to receive their resources,” Medina explained.

The bank designed a digital opening process in about five minutes, with a simplified file. Refugees can receive salary deposits, make transfers and use a digital debit card. The physical card is then obtained in commercial establishments, without having to go to a branch.

Banorte also collaborated with companies that hire refugees—such as FEMSA, Mabe, LEGO and Alpura—to speed up account opening during job incorporation. Human resources teams received specialized training.

Banking has allowed full integration into the formal economy. The accounts in this segment record monthly deposits between 2,000 and 14,000 pesos, an average balance of 1,900 pesos and about six digital transactions per month. Companies report lower staff turnover and higher productivity among refugee workers, many with professional experience or specialized studies.

Warning system for climate phenomena

President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the Federal Government is developing a telephone alert system for meteorological phenomena. It is expected to be ready in approximately two months. The initiative is carried out by the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency, the National Civil Protection Coordination and the National Meteorological Service (SMN).

The project is part of preventive actions against the El Niño phenomenon, which according to authorities will manifest itself with great intensity this year and next.

Expected impact of El Niño

According to official forecasts, El Niño will leave more intense rainfall towards the end of the year, especially in the north of the country. A high probability of larger cyclones and drought conditions is also forecast for central Mexico in 2027.

The coordinator of the SMN, Fabián Vázquez Romaña, pointed out that there is a 63% probability that the event will be “very strong.” He added that it will reach its highest point in December and warned of a rebound in high temperatures during the spring of 2027.

Civil protection measures

The national coordinator of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez, explained that communication is maintained with the 32 states to deploy relief teams, supervise shelters and update risk maps in collaboration with the National Water Commission.

As a key strategy, Command Posts are installed in the 17 coastal entities. Eleven are already formalized; the remainder will be completed the following week. The Pacific coast is prioritized before expanding coverage to the center of the country.

In addition, preventive infrastructure work is being accelerated throughout the territory: clearing dams, cleaning and opening the diameter of rivers, and placing containment barriers to mitigate possible floods.

Bilateral recognition of arms trafficking

President Claudia Sheinbaum reported that the United States government formally accepted that the majority of weapons seized in Mexico come from its territory. This recognition, he noted, reinforces the need to stop illegal trafficking as a priority in security cooperation.

“They already recognized it. And in the understanding that we have, now with President Trump’s government, they recognize that something fundamental is to seize the weapons that come to Mexico,” declared Sheinbaum.

The key data was given by the US Department of Justice before the end of Joe Biden’s administration: about 75% of the weapons seized in Mexican territory originate in the American Union.

Civil litigation and progress in the evidence phase

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Velasco, confirmed that the civil lawsuit that Mexico maintains against arms manufacturers and distributors in the United States is still active. It is currently in the discovery phase, despite the fact that other previous litigation was dismissed by US courts.

“This demand continues. We are going to follow up on it and we are committed to ensuring that this phase goes well,” Velasco said.

Concrete actions at the border

Velasco explained that the fight against arms trafficking is also addressed in bilateral coordination tables. The United States has increased actions to detect weapons and ammunition in its border area.

Additionally, Mexico has direct access to the ATF’s eTrace tracking system, which allows the origin of seized weapons to be identified. According to data from that platform, approximately 70% of the weapons seized and tracked come from American gun stores or distributors.

The chancellor also highlighted a recent operation in the United States that secured a shipment of weapons destined for the Mexican border, including detainees. This reflects greater cooperation to stem the flow of arsenal into the country.