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WORLD NEWS Friday 28 July 2023

Mexico’s president offers to buy U.S. company’s coastal property

for $375 million to end dispute

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mex- can’s limestone quarry
ico’s president said Thurs- and forbade the company
day that he has offered from exporting stone that
to buy an American com- was long used in U.S. and
pany’s Caribbean coast Mexican building projects.
property for about $385 mil- The president accused the
lion to end a bitter, years- company of extracting
long dispute. rock and exporting it with-
President Andrés Manuel out proper permits. Vulcan
López Obrador said a for- said it had the needed per-
mal offer would be pre- mits.
sented to Alabama-based In March, the U.S. State De-
Vulcan Materials. The com- partment said it was “con-
pany operated gravel ex- cerned about the fair treat-
traction pits at the Yucatan ment of our companies in
peninsula site before López Mexico” after Mexican po-
Obrador’s administration lice seized the cargo termi-
closed them. nal on Vulcan’s property.
The company said it had Police held the port and
not yet received the presi- used it to unload cargo
dent’s proposal or respond- from a Mexican cement
ed to the idea. In papers and aggregates company,
filed for a case before an Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks at the National Palace in Mexico City, Cemex.
international arbitration Jan. 10, 2023. The president has publicly
panel, Vulcan Materials Associated Press sparred with Vulcan for
valued the almost 6,000- cruise ships. pany dug out of hundreds offer wasn’t accepted by over a year. The dock at
acre (2,400 hectare) prop- As the only significant port of acres of the limestone the time he leaves office in Punta Venado would al-
erty, located just south of facility on that stretch of soil as “swimming pools” September 2024. “Before I low cement, crushed stone
the resort town of Playa del the Caribbean coast, the or an “ecotourism” area leave (office), this is going and other materials to
Carmen, at $1.9 billion. dock would also be useful that would be operated as to be resolved, one way or complete the Maya Train
López Obrador said his for transporting gravel and a concession by a private another,” he said, adding project to reach the area.
much lower offer was fair cement for the president’s operator. that the company would Because there aren’t any
and based on a govern- massive train construc- The huge pits are inhab- have to agree to drop its local supplies of crushed
ment assessment. He said tion project, known as the ited by crocodiles, which damages-seeking cases stone needed to stabilize
the most attractive part of Maya Train. are a protected species before the arbitration pan- the tracks, López Obrador
the property was the freight López Obrador said he also in Mexico. López Obrador el as part of the deal. has been forced to import
shipping dock, which he wants to use the flooded left open a vague threat of In 2021, Mexico’s environ- the stone, known as ballast,
plans to turn into a dock for gravel pits that the com- seizing the property if the ment ministry closed Vul- from Cuba.q

U.K. government’s routine housing of unaccompanied child

migrants in hotels ruled unlawful

By SYLVIA HUI lawfully when it routinely High Court ruled Thursday. adult to look after them is cannot be used systemati-
Associated Press housed newly arrived un- A child protection char- among the most funda- cally or routinely in circum-
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s accompanied child asy- ity brought legal action mental duties of any civi- stances where it is intend-
government acted un- lum seekers in hotels, the against Britain’s Home lized state,” the judge said. ed, or functions in practice,
Office and local authori- Every Child Protected as a substitute for local au-
ties in Kent, on England’s Against Trafficking, or thority care.”
southern coast, over their ECPAT, the charity that The Home Office and De-
treatment of unaccompa- brought the lawsuit, said partment for Education
nied migrant children, say- hundreds of children had had opposed the legal
ing the temporary housing gone missing, with many challenges, saying the ho-
arrangements deny the potentially trafficked for tel use was “a matter of ne-
youngsters the statutory criminal exploitation, as a cessity.”
child protection safeguards result of the failures by gov- “It remains a child protec-
to which they are entitled. ernment. tion scandal that so many
Justice Martin Chamber- The judge said Home Of- of the most vulnerable
lain ruled that authorities fice officials had been ac- children remain missing at
breached legal duties of commodating children in risk of significant harm as a
care owed to all children hotels for over two years. consequence of these un-
who require looking after, Placing asylum-seeking lawful actions by the Sec-
irrespective of their immi- children in hotels for “very retary of State and Kent
A view of the exterior of the Royal Courts of Justice, which gration status. short periods in true emer- County Council,” said Patri-
houses the High Court, in London, on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012. “Ensuring the safety and gency situations” was ac- cia Durr, the charity’s chief
Associated Press welfare of children with no ceptable, he said, but “it executive.q