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WORLD NEWS Monday 14 February 2022
U.S. suspends Mexican avocado imports on eve of Super Bowl

By MARK STEVENSON at the time that, “For fu-
Associated Press ture situations that result in
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- a security breach, or dem-
co has acknowledged that onstrate an imminent physi-
the U.S. government has cal threat to the well-being
suspended all imports of of APHIS personnel, we will
Mexican avocados after immediately suspend pro-
a U.S. plant safety inspec- gram activities.”
tor in Mexico received a Many avocado growers
threat. in Michoacan say drug
The surprise suspension was gangs threaten them or
confirmed late Saturday on their family members with
the eve of the Super Bowl, kidnapping or death unless
the biggest sales oppor- they pay protection mon-
tunity of the year for Mexi- ey, sometimes amounting
can avocado growers — to thousands of dollars per
though it would not affect acre.
game-day consumption On September 30, 2020,
since those avocados had a Mexican employee of
already been shipped. APHIS was killed near the
Avocado exports are the northern border city of Ti-
latest victim of the drug juana.
cartel turf battles and ex- Recently harvested avocados at an orchard near Ziracuaretiro, Michoacan state, Mexico, Oct. Mexican prosecutors said
tortion of avocado grow- 1, 2019. Edgar Flores Santos was
ers in the western state of Associated Press killed by drug traffickers
Michoacan, the only state who may have mistaken
in Mexico fully authorized packers association un- per Bowl had already been is fighting turf wars against him for a policeman and a
to export to the U.S. market. veiled its Super Bowl ad for exported in the weeks prior a collection of local gangs suspect was arrested. The
The U.S. government sus- this year. Mexican exporters to the event. known as the United Car- U.S. State Department said
pended all imports of Mexi- have taken out the pricey Because the United States tels — has threatened avo- investigations “concluded
can avocados “until further ads for almost a decade in also grows avocados, U.S. cados, the state’s most lu- this unfortunate incident
notice” after a U.S. plant a bid to associate guaca- inspectors work in Mexico crative crop. was a case of Mr. Flores be-
safety inspector in Mexico mole as a Super Bowl tradi- to ensure exported avo- After a previous incident in ing in the wrong place at
received a threatening tion. cados don’t carry diseases 2019, the USDA had warned the wrong time.”
message, Mexico’s Agricul- This year’s ad shows Julius that could hurt U.S. crops. about the possible conse- The avocado ban was just
ture Department said in a Caesar and a rough bunch It was only in 1997 that the quences of attacking or the latest threat to Mexi-
statement. of gladiator fans outside U.S. lifted a ban on Mexi- threatening U.S. inspectors. co’s export trade stemming
“U.S. health authorities ... what appears to be the can avocados that had In August 2019, a U.S. De- from the government’s in-
made the decision after Colosseum, soothing their been in place since 1914 to partment of Agriculture ability to rein in illegal ac-
one of their officials, who apparently violent differ- prevent a range of weevils, team of inspectors was “di- tivities.
was carrying out inspec- ences by enjoying guaca- scabs and pests from enter- rectly threatened” in Zirac- On Thursday, the U.S. Trade
tions in Uruapan, Michoac- mole and avocados. ing U.S. orchards. uaretiro, a town just west of Representative’s Office
an, received a threatening The association did not im- The inspectors work for the Uruapan. While the agency filed an environmental
message on his official cell- mediately respond to a re- U.S. Department of Agri- didn’t specify what hap- complaint against Mexico
phone,” the department quest for comment on the culture’s Animal and Plant pened, local authorities say for failing to stop illegal fish-
wrote. ban, which hits an indus- Health Inspection Services. a gang robbed the truck ing to protect the critically
The import ban came on try with almost $3 billion in It is not the first time that the inspectors were travel- endangered vaquita ma-
the day that the Mexican annual exports. However, the violence in Michoacan ing in at gunpoint. rina, the world’s smallest
avocado growers and avocados for this year’s Su- — where the Jalisco cartel The USDA wrote in a letter porpoise. q

Saudi sees Cyprus as bridge between Europe, Middle East

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — region. He said both coun- for all,” Al Saud said. “I think
Saudi Arabia views Cyprus tries agree in the primacy it’s important that we all
as a “bridge” between of international law. stand together to defend
the Middle East and the “If we do not all agree that the primacy of internation-
European Union, helping international law is the pri- al law or state sovereignty,
the 27-nation bloc “under- mary guide of state rela- a rejection of intervention-
stand what’s going on” in tions, we risk the instability ism of all sorts.”q
the region, the Saudi for-
eign minister said Sunday. Happy Valentine’s Day
Foreign Minister Faisal bin
Farhan Al Saud, speaking Pamper yourself this vacation with any of our beauty treatment or
lashes and enjoy 10% OFF
after talks with his Cypriot This image provided by Cyprus Press and Informations Office, Special available only for this week. For men and women.
counterpart Ioannis Ka- shows Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud,
left and Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides speaking to
soulides, said that Cyprus the media, during a press conference after their meeting, at the
helps “really focus the at- foreign ministry house in capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Sunday, Feb.
tention” on all the opportu- 13, 2022.
nities and challenges in the Associated Press
Middle East. outreach to Gulf states in broker as the closest EU-
Cyprus has ramped up its recent years to act as a member country to the