Three workers injured by fire at Salina Cruz refinery

Three Pemex employees suffered minor burns after a fire at the Salina Cruz refinery.

Three Petróleos Mexicanos workers suffered minor burns after an incident at the Salina Cruz refinery, Oaxaca. The parastatal clarified that it was not an explosion, but rather a “flare.”

Incident details

The event occurred during maintenance work at the Alkylation Plant. According to Pemex, the flame occurred in the GA-311 B bottom pump of the DA-304 Fractionation Tower. The company assured that the incident was immediately controlled in accordance with established security protocols.

RelatedFailure at Pemex refinery generates flares and smoke in Salina Cruz

The three employees suffered minor burns and were taken to the Pemex General Hospital. Their health status is stable and they remain under observation.

No major damage

Pemex stated that the flare did not cause damage to the refinery’s infrastructure. Therefore, operations at the plant continue normally. The company did not provide the names of the injured or additional details about their evolution.

These types of incidents are not recurring at the Salina Cruz refinery, one of the most important in the country with the capacity to process 330 thousand barrels of crude oil per day. Union organizations have pointed out in the past the need to reinforce security protocols at oil facilities.

As of press time, the Ministry of Labor had not issued a statement regarding possible sanctions or additional investigations.

Prosecutor’s Office grants protection measures to victim of family violence

The Morelos Prosecutor's Office issued protection measures after a complaint of family violence against the former director of Pemex.

The Morelos Attorney General’s Office activated protection measures in favor of Felicia Jiménez Lavie, who filed a complaint for family violence against her husband, Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, former director of Pemex. This was reported by prosecutor Fernando Blumenkron Escobar.

The measures, the official explained, will be available when the victim requires them. The complaint was filed in Mexico City and the Women’s Secretariat of the Government of Mexico directly follows up on the case.

Investigation in progress

Until now, Jiménez Lavie has not gone to the local Public Ministry to contribute more elements to the investigation folder. This was initiated ex officio last Friday, June 26, after a video was broadcast with images of attacks against the woman.

Blumenkron assured that the portfolio continues its integration. “The proceedings have not stopped and we are going to continue to guarantee justice for the victim,” he said. In addition, he indicated that there is coordination with the Women’s Secretariat and the capital’s Prosecutor’s Office, under the care route for victims of family violence.

Among the actions carried out, the Morelos Prosecutor’s Office seeks to locate the address where the physical assault occurred, to carry out expert reports in accordance with the images of the video broadcast by the victim herself.

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Trump does not extend T-MEC: Mexico faces annual review

US rejects automatic extension of the T-MEC; validity is reduced to 10 years with annual review.

Rejection of automatic extension

The United States decided not to automatically renew the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) for 16 years. This reduces its validity to a decade with an annual review. The measure generated concern among Mexican legislators.

Ricardo Monreal, coordinator of Morena in San Lázaro, explained that the treaty remains in force for another 10 years, but subject to evaluation each year. He noted that the United States presented 54 observations, including issues such as the vaquita porpoise and piracy. Mexico, for its part, raised 13 points, including clause 232 on tariffs.

“Only it will be reviewed year after year, but the Treaty is not finished, it continues for another 10 years because that is how it was signed six years ago,” declared Monreal.

The legislator warned that Donald Trump has been a constant critic of the USMCA and called for considering the benefits it has brought to the three nations.

Reactions of the opposition

Héctor Saúl Téllez, vice economic coordinator of the PAN, considered that the US position shows a lack of strategic anticipation on the part of the federal government.

“The US decision not to automatically extend the USMCA for 16 years in today’s review is not the end of the treaty, but it does reveal a lack of strategic anticipation by the federal government,” he stated.

Téllez recalled that Article 34.7 of the agreement had been known since 2018. Reaching July 1 without a clean extension represents a risk that, he said, should have been avoided.

The annual review will allow adjustments, but uncertainty about the future of regional trade persists. Mexico and Canada will seek to maintain the stability of the agreement for the next ten years.

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Banco del Bienestar manager linked to theft of 5 million

Three arrested, including the manager, for the theft of 5 million pesos from a bank branch.

Details of the robbery at Banco del Bienestar

The Nuevo León Prosecutor’s Office arrested three people for the theft of 5 million pesos in a branch of the Banco del Bienestar in Guadalupe. Among those arrested is Delia “N”, bank manager, identified as a participant in planning the robbery. She was arrested on June 25 and remains in preventive detention.

The other two detainees are Alexis “N”, 25 years old, and Armando “N”, 50, linked to proceedings for illegal operations and crimes against health. The State Investigation Agency carried out searches in Apodaca and San Nicolás de los Garza.

They recover part of the loot and vehicles

The authorities recovered 1 million 851 thousand 200 pesos of the stolen money. They also seized a Ford Mustang and a Chevrolet Colorado, acquired with illicit resources. In addition, a GMC Terrain, a Chevrolet Aveo, a Chevrolet Spark and a Ford Escort were seized; the latter would have been used in the robbery.

According to the investigation, two men dressed in black entered the bank after the clients left, threatened the employees and forced them to open the safe. They locked the staff in a bathroom and fled with the 5 million. The investigation remains open.

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