Page 11 - Aruba Today

WORLD NEWS A11
Friday 6 November 2015

Mexico seeks to boost economic ties with Raul Castro visit

Cuba’s President Raul Castro, center, waves to people in Rev- Thursday and meet with where he said then-Mexi- ing Raul Castro’s visit.
olution Square in Havana, Cuba. Mexicans are looking to in- his Mexican counterpart, can President Vicente Fox Experts said there are some
crease trade with Cuba as Castro makes his first state visit to Enrique Pena Nieto, on told him to leave. Raul Cas- sensitive issues between
Mexico, and the first such trip since the early 2000s. Friday. For some experts, tro, who assumed Cuba’s Cuba and Mexico, such as
Mexico’s interest runs presidency from his brother migration. Mexico has seen
(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) parallel with what many in 2006, participated in a an increase in the arrival of
consider Cuba’s plans to Latin America summit in the Cuban migrants in recent
E. CASTILLO sees an opportunity to ex- increase ties with the out- Mexican resort city of Can- months, in what analyst Co-
Associated Press pand its economic interests side world before the U.S. cun in 2010. varrubias said is a reflection
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- in Cuba and other larger ends its 50-year embargo According to official statis- of Cuba’s new relationship
cans are looking to in- economies of the Caribbe- against the island. tics, total trade between with the United States.
crease trade with Cuba as an. “We believe we are in a “The strategy of Cuba, be- Mexico and Cuba in 2014 Normalizing relations be-
Cuban President Raul Cas- privileged position to have fore the embargo is lifted amounted to about $374 tween Cuba and the Unit-
tro makes his first state visit more presence on the is- and U.S. can reach ev- million, a small sum against ed States will get rid of the
to Mexico, and the first such land because it’s close, erything, (is) to diversify its the $500 billion in two-way automatic refugee sta-
trip since relations between we share the Caribbean foreign economic relation- business last year between tus that Cubans enjoy as
the two countries went Sea and because of many ships, and Mexico can be Mexico and its main trading soon as they reach U.S. soil.
cold in the early 2000s. With things,” said Socorro Flores, a good partner,” said Ana partner, the United States. Many are trying to get in
Cuba experiencing some Mexico’s deputy foreign Covarrubias of the College Two of the seven compa- before that ends.
limited economic open- minister for Latin America. of Mexico. nies that received approval Migration statistics show
ing in recent years and re- Castro was scheduled to After chilly relations under to develop the Cuban port that from January to Sep-
newing diplomatic ties with arrive in the Yucatan pen- Mexico’s two previous con- of Mariel are Mexican. The tember this year, 6,447
the United States, Mexico insula city of Merida late servative governments, Mexican government has Cubans were stopped for
Pena Nieto has made clear said the signing of some bi- not having proper docu-
he wants to renew histori- lateral agreements in areas mentation to be in Mexico,
cally close ties with Cuba. such as tourism and edu- twice the number for all of
His Institutional Revolution- cation are expected dur- 2014.q
ary Party, which ruled for
71 years before losing the
presidency in 2000, always
had a respectful relation-
ship with Cuba’s commu-
nist government despite
U.S. pressure to cut off ties.
Cuban President Fidel Cas-
tro was in Mexico in 2002
to attend a United Nations
conference in Monterrey,

Dam bursts in south Brazil, submerging homes

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Images from Globo TV on its website that it was
dam burst at a mining op- showed the area of the making “every effort to pri-
eration in southeastern Bra- operation overrun with wa- oritize care to people and
zil on Thursday, submerging ter and clay-red mud, and mitigate damage to the
nearby homes and vehi- large vehicles tossed on environment.”
cles. Authorities said there their sides. “It is not possible at this mo-
are dead and missing but A small cluster of homes ment to confirm a cause ...
have not yet given any fig- and about 400 people live nor if there are victims,” it
ures. in the small town of Bento added.
Rescue teams were search- Rodrigues, about 7 kilome- Police, firefighters and city
ing for survivors or bod- ters (just over 4 miles) be- officials also said they could
ies, and residents living in neath the dam that burst. not confirm any victims.
an area downhill from the Images showed the town A statement from the city
dam were told to evacu- overrun with mud and wa- hall of Mariana, a city of
ate to higher ground. ter. Authorities said the dam about 40,000 people 300
The Civil Defense agency was built to hold back wa- kilometers (185 miles) north
of Minas Gerais state con- ter and residue from mining of Rio de Janeiro, said the
firmed there were dead operations, a mixture that dam ruptured at 4:20 p.m.
and missing from the dam can often be toxic. in an area roughly 20 kilo-
burst — but said it could not The Samarco mining com- meters (over 12 miles) from
yet give a number. pany said in a statement the city center.q