Alonso Urrutia and Emir Olivares
Newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, October 11, 2022, p. 5
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reported that the operating capacity of the six refineries has increased substantially from 38 percent when this administration entered to 65 percent. He argued that by reversing the abandonment policy that was intended to turn them into scrap metal, 50 billion pesos were invested, with which it is intended to conclude the six-year term with an operation of 90 percent of its capacity.
In a conference, he pointed out that even in the construction of the new Olmec Refinery, in Dos Bocas, Tabasco, the resources that were available were used:
A refinery is built in Dos Bocas, yes, we just didn’t buy the land, it was already there, it belonged to Pemex. But there was also the oil terminal where a million barrels a day arrive, there where the land was, it is the largest crude oil collection terminal in the country. That is, there the raw material. Ah, but there is also a port.
Without these investments, inflation in Mexico would have shot up to 14 percent and would not be at 8.7, he considered, because the bet of past administrations was to abandon the refineries until they became scrap metal, sell oil and buy gasoline abroad.
Balance of trade
López Obrador also celebrated that the latest data on the trade balance places Mexico as the first trading partner of the United States in August, with 70.3 billion dollars, above Canada (70 billion dollars) and China (63 thousand million). 300 million).
He asserted that in the relationship with the United States there is respect for President Joe Biden, although as in all governments there are different positions. Biden may have very good intentions, he does, and (Antony) Blinken, the secretary of the State Department, and others. Well, the differences between the federal government and the state government, that migrants arrive in Texas and in an inhumane and vulgar way they transfer them from Texas to New York or put them near residences
.
On his tour of Tamaulipas, he spoke with the new governor, Américo Villarreal, and suggested staying out of the electoral contest in the United States because his counterpart in Texas intends to be reelected. It would be convenient for any rapprochement to take place after the November election, he recommended.
On the other hand, the former governor of Hidalgo Omar Fayad met with López Obrador at the National Palace.
