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 Business News | September 2006 
La Entrada Planners Watch Mexican Presidential Race
 Bob Campbell - Midland Reporter-Telegram
This week's announcement of the new president of Mexico will be a big factor in the development of La Entrada al Pacifico trade corridor, Mexican oil exploration by American companies and other such issues, according to diplomatic and business spokesmen on both sides of the border.
With Felipe Calderon of outgoing President Vicente Fox's National Action Party and the PRD coalition's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador having finished the July 2 election in a dead heat, the Federal Electoral Tribunal in Mexico City is expected to name the winner Tuesday or Wednesday.
Mexican Consul General Hector Raul Acosta of Presidio last Tuesday said his government awaits the outcome to help determine funding for La Entrada-related rail tunnel widenings, highway and port-dredging projects and oil exploration policies for foreign companies.
Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance President James Beauchamp said Acosta has already helped coordinate border crossing hours at Ojinaga-Presidio and global competition is favorable to Mexico's continuing progessiveness.
Acosta said the new 110-mile expressway from Chihuahua to Ojinaga has boosted truck traffic, but the central government must help widen tunnels near the cities of Chihuahua and Mochis to service the Topolobampo Pacific seaport on Mexico's southwestern coast.
He said the port now handles only small ships, mostly from Mexico, and will have to be dredged for La Entrada to work there.
"This is a very ambitious project and there are so many problems to sort out," Acosta said. "The infrastructure will definitely require a lot of capital. The port has to be practically rebuilt to receive the biggest ships in the world."
When asked about Mexico's improving profitability for American oil and gas companies, Acosta said, "The petrol has always been part of the capital richness of our country and the future president would have something regarding that issue."
"We're open for foreign investment and the Mexican Consulate is ready to provide whatever information is necessary to facilitate investment."
"President Fox had an excellent performance. You cannot build democracy in six years, but starting the process of neo-democracy was very good."
In the most recent count, Calderon had 36.4 percent of the vote, Lopez Obrador 35.3 and Roberto Madrazo of the PRI-PVEM party 21.6 percent. Calderon was strong in northern and central Mexico while Lopez Obrador held the south.
Acosta and the other eight officials of his office regularly come to Midland to issue passports and consular identification cards, register newborn children, take citizenship applications and perform other services. They will be at the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 9.
Beauchamp said the American side of the Ojinaga-Presidio crossing has always been open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Mexico made things difficult by operating from about 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. - a time zone difference Acosta kept negotiating until the Mexican side opens at 8. Beauchamp said daily truck crossings have improved from 18 to 60 in three years.
He said drilling offshore in the deep water near Vera Cruz "and really, all their Gulf coastway" could be very productive, as could be inland exploration throughout the central and southern regions. "Mexico has come a long way on a lot of things," Beauchamp said.
"The real issue you get into with energy production is what the rate of return is going to be on investment. Pemex, the national company, is decent but not great. A company can make a better rate on production here even with the high cost of wells."
"Pemex doesn't have the technology or equipment it takes and they're providing 25-30 percent of the federal government's funding. So they're not putting much back into exploration."
The MOTRAN spokesman said the port's dredging "will not be a problem at all" and other ports like Mazatlan's could also be used. Noting a better road is needed north of Topolobampo through Copper Canyon, he said, "The states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua have brought in a firm to do feasibility work for the road and additional Asian Pacific ports and rail infrastructure."
"They're going to need those connections to partner with China and stay competitive."
Beauchamp said starting construction next year on the Highway 349 reliever route west and north of Midland and making a wide two-lane "Super Two" highway of U.S. 67 from Marfa through Alpine to Interstate 10 at Fort Stockton, on which work has begun, are also vital. |
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