Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com for Evaluating Baja Norte Homes


Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com for Evaluating Baja Norte Homes

As you explore Baja Norte in search of a great vacation home, you will want to be sure that you are traveling legally and safely. Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com is important as you search because it ensures that you are able to pay if you are responsible for an accident. While your initial search for property will be an exciting adventure, there are many circumstances that can be beyond your control. From a blown tire to a pothole in the road, it's important to be covered so that your search for Baja real estate won't leave you with a negative experience. Don't skip the purchase of Mexican auto insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com. Rather, take as much time to review Mexico insurance at MexicanInsuranceStore.com as you do to explore potential properties for sale. Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com is now required in order to drive on any highway or freeway in Mexico.

Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com - Liability Limits and Baja Expectations

While foreigners are expected to carry proper Mexican insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com throughout the nation, Baja government requires all motorists to carry liability protection. This can be helpful, reducing your own risks if your vehicle is damaged or if you are injured in an accident during your Baja property search. Your Mexican auto insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com will cover medical expenses for you and your passengers if you are involved in an accident in which the other motorist is uninsured. However, your Mexico insurance at MexicanInsuranceStore.com won't necessarily cover your property damages suffered in such an incident. Full coverage Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com will allow for your repairs or vehicle replacement to be handled whereas liability-only protection won't. If you are crossing the border with your agent for just a day of property searching, you won't see a huge difference between liability and full coverage costs, making full coverage Mexico insurance at MexicanInsuranceStore.com the better choice for the day.

Spend Some Time

You may want to experience a bit of Baja living before you actually buy a property in an area like Rosarito or Playas de Tijuana. Your real estate agent can assist you in finding rental homes to consider as you enjoy a trial of life in Mexico. You will want to purchase long-term Baja coverage for your vehicle to ensure that your policy doesn't lapse during your stay. You can select coverage for as little as one day or for as long as one year, ensuring that your plans don't go astray because of an accident that happens after your coverage has lapsed. Additionally, you will appreciate that there are many options for accessing the Internet when you are in the Baja Norte area.

Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com comes with FREE Roadside Assistance

Mexican Insurance on MexicanInsuranceStore.com

Baja Real Estate Investment - remax-baja.com

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com and Smart Searches for Baja Property


Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com and Smart Searches for Baja Property

Smart searching for the right property in Baja is important, and your real estate agent can help you to narrow your choices based on your priorities. It's important that as you drive through various Baja communities you carry proper liability coverage so that any unexpected incidents are covered. Just as your real estate professional can help with your land search, an agent who specializes in Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com can provide you with important considerations for your vehicular needs. You can review your options online to be sure that you are protected against various issues. Effective October 1, 2013 all drivers on Mexico highways must have Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com coverage or face a fine.

Community Activity

One of the important things to consider in selecting your home in Baja is the design of the community. You can find areas with affordable pricing but close spacing. You'll also find areas that are spread out, great if you like a more remote experience. In many rural areas, you'll find that traffic and activities are very laid back and peaceful. You still need to be sure that your Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com is comprehensive enough to handle your potential liabilities and losses. Stray animals can create unexpected accidents, and your full coverage plan is important for ensuring that your repairs are covered. If you select an area that features many families, your liability coverage is especially important in case of pedestrian incidents. Be prepared with a good policy so that once you buy your home in Baja, you can enjoy it with peace of mind.

Exploring Mexico Coastal Properties and Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com

Many individuals find that rural properties in Baja Norte provide the opportunity to explore many unique land features. You can enjoy the mountains in San Pedro Martír. You can explore countless miles of tranquil beaches. You may want to bring ATVs or other off-road vehicles for more intensive exploration. Consider this interest as you look for a home that includes plenty of acreage or a large garage. You may want to build a workshop for protecting your off-road vehicles when you are away. Similarly, evaluate Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com that will cover ATVs during towing and during operation. While the coverage options for such vehicles may be slim, you will find some policies that are available for this need.

Amenities and Services and Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com

Your proximity to a larger city or the border may be important as you research properties in Northern Baja. It's more expensive to shop for your supplies in small tienditas, and access to services in larger towns can save money. Your real estate professional will help you consider all of these angles while your Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com agent will help you to explore the needs related to your driving in these areas.

Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com comes with FREE Roadside Assistance

Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com Re/Max Baja Realty - Mexico Coastal Properties[/caption] Mexican Insurance Store.com

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Americas Now...made in Mexico

In the eyes of many world travelers, Tijuana Mexico has long been seen as little more than a tourist trap across the US border for cheap souvenirs and tequila and for its prostitutes peddling their services on the back streets of Avenida Revolucion. Its negative image cemented further by memories of violent turf battles in the streets between drug gangs and police in the not so distant past particularly this shootout back in 2008 that saw kindergarten children caught in the crossfire, having to be rescued from harms way by authorities. And today visitors here often see daily arrests of criminal suspects outside Tijuana’s souvenir shops. One shop owner hoping tourists might focus on more positive attributes like Tijuana’s favorite son legendary rock musician Carlos Santana. Santana aside what has gone virtually unnoticed here by the outside world is Tijuana’s extraordinary transformation in the last decade as a world class manufacturing center with armies of highly skilled Mexican workers. 165 thousand of them showing up for work each dayfor 600 hundred top foreign national companies here that are producing billions of dollars in exports each year. A “business boom” said to be directly responsible for turning this once impoverished town of 3 million citizens into a modern middle class metropolis -- with elegant gated communities rivaling those across the border in San Diego, California. Housing developments built not from the “drug money” of Mexico’s narcotics gangs but from the hard earned pesos of an exploding working middle class moving into them. A point man for Tijuana’s rise as a global manufacturing giant is Tijuana native Flavio Olivieri that is CEO of the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation.His nonprofit agency facilitating is the arrival of foreign multinational companies keen on doing business in Tijuana. He says they are a link between the companies and the government agencies and all of the services required to do business in Tijuana. Currently they have about 52 industrial parks that house close to 600 companies and manufacturing facilities. And they also have Samsung from Korea. They manufacture here their large format TV sets and their smart TV sets. And not just a handful of them, but 17 million Samsung flat screen TVs with their “Made in Mexico” stamp are exported each year from Tijuana to retailers just across the border in San Diego and across the United States - and to the European continent. As well Japanese electronics giant Sony has made Tijuana a major manufacturing base for its flat screen TVs. Toyota has a huge plant on the outskirts of Tijuana producing the popular “Tacoma” pickup truck for export in the United States. US aerospace giant Honeywell employs nearly 15 thousand local workers manufacturing aerial defense systems for the US military.And San Diego based 3DRobotics has made Tijuana its manufacturing hub for its highly popular amateur unmanned aerial vehicles known as ‘quad copters” selling in most countries around the world. So impressive are Tijuana’s manufacturing capabilities and output that the city of San Diego has become the first US city to open a binational affairs office in Tijuana to encourage more US-Mexico business partnerships says office director Mario Lopez. ATijuana has born Mexican American who commutes to and from Tijuana almost daily by San Diego’s trolley line to the US-Mexico border. Mario Lopez says: “We think of this as a mega region the only way to really thrive instead of competing instead of looking at each other on different terms is actually creating synergy that’s the only way in the long term that we’re going to be able to compete with other places in the world.” Though, “being able to compete,” say human rights groups, should not come at the expense of the Mexicans doing the work here, who they claim have historically been among the most exploited in the world. While industrial parks like these across Tijuana have created thousands of jobs, there remains a contentious issue with many workers: Low wages. The minimum wage in Mexico, for example, is almost five times lower than the 7 dollars and 25 cents an hour workers earn in the United States.Admittedly a controversial issue, says Tijuana’s business facilitator Flavio Olivieri. He tells us the hour wage is about one dollar that is fifty cents. Well it is not a lot of money compared to the US. It is more than other parts of the world and Mexico.And people with that wage are able to get their benefits and be able to get insurance and loans for buying a house and they get all the medical services they require. Olivieri says an example of how working conditions and benefits have improved here in recent years is the US Company DJO Global and its manufacturing plant in Tijuana voted one of the top 3 “Best Places to Work” in Mexico for two years running. Its 2,000 employees assembling orthopedic products here are offered everything from free college education - providing they stay with and move up in the company to home loans to free health careto a weekly discount Farmers Market - set up out front of the plant to save employees the time and expense of food shopping elsewhere each week. To a “Hollywood Star” style “Walk of Fame” for “Employees of the month” meant to boost morale. To this music system in the plant’s cafeteria “Karaoke Optional” We requested an opportunity to interview some of the floor workers here -- but the company told us none were willing to take part.We were, instead, offered an interview with an employee from the Human Resources department. Mildred Herrera Martinez claims the company changed her life for the better 13 years ago when she started work here on the production line at the legal working age in Mexico of 14. Her hourly wage has risen from 1 dollar fifty cents to 5 dollars an hour - earning her 40 dollars a day - 200 dollars a week. She worked her way up from the production line and after, they helped her finish university. And now she has risen to a position with Human Resources. Tijuana’s business leaders say the city’s manufacturing boom is slowly sending a message to its American neighbors to the north that Mexicans - when given the opportunity -- are capable of and happy to find jobs in their own country rather than crossing the border illegally for employment in the United States. Flavio Olivieri says: “You know the perception of Mexico has been very negative...and played very strongly by the media and downplaying the capabilities...and the opportunities with Mexico. And I think Americans can really notice the partnership...that could be developed with Mexico...because we complement each other...and we can be more competitive if we work together.” As for the issue of crime and security in Tijuana - Olivieri says drug war violence today is almost non-existent around the city. And while every day crime still exists, he says, it’s no more than in other major cities around the world. Flavio Olivieri thinks what really shows that crime is not a factor is the growth of companies. They continue to see existing companies to invest more and more and expand and expand. Tijuana’s future, he says, is brighter than it’s ever been and thanks to a more highly trained work force capable of higher standard production methods. That is meeting the demands of more and more US companies opening manufacturing plants here. That has Mexicans, these days, feeling quite proud.Tijuana is making its mark as a global manufacturing leader. Editor:James |Source: CCTV.com www.bajainvestment.com

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Viewpoint: Five myths about Mexico



1 May 2013 
People walk on a crowded street in Mexico city
Mexico is a country with a growing middle class and strong democracy
As US President Barack Obama visits Mexico this week, he may want to consider the new realities of the country, says Shannon O'Neil, from the Council on Foreign Relations.
President Obama's visit to Mexico is part of a long tradition of diplomatic relations between the US and its neighbour to the south.
But while many Americans feel that they understand the basic economic and social forces that drive Mexico, the realities are much more interesting.
Here five myths about Mexico, that have a direct impact on American foreign policy, are debunked.

Mexico is no longer a poor country

Billboard advertisement signs for Motorola, King Kong and Telcel hanging over an Oriental Rug shop in Mexico City. Mexico City is a modern hub of commerce and culture
Though many Americans think of Mexico as a country of either wealth or poverty, by most accounts it is now a middle-class country.
A majority of Mexican households - incorporating roughly 60m people - now have disposable income. Half of the people in Mexico own their own car, and one-third own a computer. Nearly everyone has a television and mobile phone.
These new urban middle-class Mexicans are also investing in their children's education. There are now 45,000 private schools, comprising nearly a third of all Mexico's schools.
Student enrollment in universities and beyond has tripled in the past 30 years, from under a million in 1980 to almost three million today.
The rise of the middle class has affected Mexico's politics, too, with this segment pivotal in voting out the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 2000, and then voting them back in to Los Pinos, Mexico's White House, last year.
This crucial voting bloc is increasingly up for grabs, rapidly joining the ranks of Mexico's proclaimed political independents.
They mirror the US middle class in their concerns, paying close attention to economic opportunities and security, two important issues in US-Mexico relations.

Mexican manufacturing doesn't harm US workers

Men work on an assembly line at a Mexican shoe factoryBasing factories in Mexico allows American companies to be more competitive
For Mexico, the biggest issues in the US-Mexico relationship are economic, and President Enrique Pena Nieto is hoping to deepen commercial ties between the two nations.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama praised Ford Motor Company for bringing jobs back from Mexico as part of a strategy to make "America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing".
Yet this statement, at least with regard to Mexico, is mistaken.
It isn't that globalisation doesn't lead some jobs to foreign lands. It does. But by expanding abroad, companies become more competitive, supporting and creating jobs at home.
Ford increased its US workforce (and plans on adding thousands more jobs by 2015), but it hasn't stopped hiring in Mexico. It is expanding a plant in Hermosillo and adding over 1,000 positions in the last few years in the state of Sonora.
A study by two Harvard business professors and a University of Michigan colleague shows that for every 10 people hired overseas by American corporations, two new jobs are created in the United States.

Mexican immigrants are not going to keep flooding the US

 Male undocumented immigrants rest at the U.S. Border Patrol detainee processing center The net migration from Mexico to the US is zero, due to many factors. The US has cracked down on undocumented immigrants like these Mexican men being held by Border Control
The images of hundreds of thousands of Mexican immigrants illegally entering the United States each year, chased down by border patrol agents on foot, horseback, or truck, resonates widely. But this reality has changed.
The estimated numbers coming north each year are down to levels last seen in the 1970s.
In fact, a 2012 Pew Hispanic Report noted that the net immigration for Mexicans in and out of the United States was "zero". In other words the same numbers of Mexicans entered and left.
This can in part be explained by the US recession, but it also reflects changes within Mexico.
Mexico has undergone a major demographic shift in the last generation. In the 1970s, women were having an average of seven children, but today that number is closer to two - the same as the US.
With fewer citizens coming of age each year relative to the overall population, the decades where Mexico's "extra youths" headed to the US are over.

Mexico's democracy is not weakening

Mexican president Enrique Pena NietoMexican president Enrique Pena Nieto wants to expand business dealings between the US and his country
Although many feared that the 2012 return of the PRI would push Mexico back into its authoritarian past, checks and balances now exist and constrain whomever wears the presidential sash.
In Mexico's Congress, the three major political parties must negotiate to get any bill passed, and the nation's Supreme Court has increasingly exercised its autonomy to restrain both political officials and vested interests.
The country's media and civil society groups more generally are beginning to play an important watchdog role, questioning policies and exposing bad behaviour.
And finally, Mexico has reached a relatively enviable space, ranking in the upper tiers of nearly all relative international measures of democracy.

Mexico is not at risk of becoming a failed state

Teachers and students protest in front of anti-riot policemen in AcapulcoMexico has its share of protests, corruption and violence, but the country continues to improve its institutions
Over the last six years, some 70,000 Mexicans have been killed in drug-related violence, and tens of thousands more have disappeared.
Mexico's police have often been unwilling or unable to stem the bloodshed, and the judicial system too has failed - with just 2% of all crimes ending in convictions.
But while Mexico faces a serious security threat from organised criminal groups, the country continues to collect taxes, build roads, run schools, expand social welfare programmes and hold free and fair elections.
Its economy has grown steadily, if somewhat slowly, and Mexico maintains an important presence in multilateral groups and summits.
It has also begun the long and arduous path of professionalising its police forces and transforming its courts to create a democratic rule of law.
One thing about Mexico that remains true is the deep and now permanent economic, political, security, and personal links between Mexico and the United States.
For Presidents Obama and Pena Nieto, there is much to gain from a better understanding of each other's country.
Shannon K. O'Neil is a senior fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States, and the Road Ahead

Monday, April 8, 2013

Buying land near Mexico's coasts

Buying land near Mexico's coasts
This blog is written by Tim Johnson, the Mexico bureau chief for McClatchy Newspapers.


Read more here: http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/mexico/2013/04/buying-land-near-mexicos-coasts.html#storylink=cpy


For nearly a century, foreigners have been holding deeds to land near Mexico’s borders or shoreline. The prohibition came as a result of fear of invasion by land or sea.
Over the past four decades, foreigners have indeed been able to obtain beachfront property but through a bureaucratic process in which they set up a Mexican bank trust. The bank actually holds the deed. Through the trust, the foreigners enjoy basically the same rights as Mexicans.
Now, change is in the air, and it could save money for thousands of American retirees and other foreigners who want to buy their piece of paradise in Mexico.
Two days ago, none other than Manlio Fabio Beltrones, put forth a proposal to amend article 27 of the Mexican constitution.
Beltrones is no ordinary politician. He’s a former governor of Sonora state, a former two-term congressman, a current senator, a perennial big shot of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and even a onetime presidential candidate.
Beltrones, presented the proposal along with another PRI deputy, Gloria Nunez Sanchez, and early signs are that members of the center-right National Action party may get behind it.
But first, a little more history: Mexico had legitimate fears of invasion back during the 1917 Revolution. So the constitution minted then included a blanket ban on foreigners owning land within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of any border or 50 kilometers (31 miles) of any shoreline. This websitesays the ban includes the entire Baja Peninsula.
Following a 1973 law that regulated creation of trusts, foreigners found a work-around. By paying around $2,000 for a permit and registration in the foreign investment registry, plus up to another $1,000 annually for bank trust administration fees, foreigners could buy land near the coasts and borders.
This has made quite a bit of money for banks.
In his proposal, Beltrones notes that fears of invasion are anachronistic.
“Hand to hand combat is no longer the way to settle disputes, thus the danger has disappeared of allowing foreigners to obtain property,” it says.
The trusts, the proposal notes, have confronted foreigners with “high costs of setting up trusts and fee payments for various registration procedures, assessments, taxes and permits prior to the government authority.”
Some Mexican Realtors are already touting the proposed change, apparently eager to increase sales.
But any constitutional amendment is lengthy. Beltrones’s proposal has to be passed by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, then approved by 17 state legislatures before it becomes law.
Moreover, the proposal would only affect those building housing with "no commercial objectives," and that a ban would remain on foreigners owning "direct dominion over the water." I'm not sure what that means. 

www.bajainvestment.com

Read more here: http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/mexico/2013/04/buying-land-near-mexicos-coasts.html#storylink=cpy

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Amazing opportunity in Rosarito Baja California real estate:

Foreclosed oceanfront property in Rosarito Baja California, Mex.! 



Presenting the best opportunity in Baja real estate: Paradise del Baja, a Foreclosed oceanfront property in Rosarito Baja California Mex. 

It is Owner’s intention to effect the sale of the Property Paradise del Baja by sale of 100% of the shares of the company, which owns the property. Purchaser will obtain ownership of the Co. by purchase of its outstanding stock, and thereby its current ownership rights to Paradise del Baja in excess of $2 million Dlls of grading work. 

Paradise del Baja consist of 6 parcels, combined into a single larger tract, with one very large sized parcel, two intermediate sized parcels, and 3 fragment sized parcels. Paradise del Baja a 5.97-acre parcel of land is situated in a magnificent location on Rosarito Baja California, Mex. with sweeping Pacific Ocean and beach views. 
Developers with a taste for the peaceful views of El Descanso Bay in Baja, will be drawn to this beachfront property, a natural whale resting area. 

Beachfront real estate in Baja doesn’t get any better than this, with views of turquoise waters and less than a mile from the renowned Puerto Nuevo dinning. Rising on an partially land graded parcel of land between the main highway and the Pacific Ocean, Paradise del Baja, a Rosarito real estate opportunity is unparalleled in the possibilities it presents for real estate development. Zoned residential and commercial, this land is available for many types of development, like hotels, condos, homes, shopping mall, etc. The Seller has conducted a Master Plan audit to identify potential uses for this Oceanside land. 

This exceptional Rosarito Beach property can support a premier community that is zoned over 200 homes. Potential Features and Amenities: Seaside Multi-Family Residences, Seaside Single-Family Residences, Beach Club, Retail/Entertainment District, Reconstituted Beach, Community Sports Fields, Staff Housing and more. 

Paradise del Baja an undeveloped but largely improved oceanfront property in Rosarito Baja, represents a stellar opportunity for development of a project that boasts world-class recreational activities within a short drive from the US border. The 5.97 acres of land on Rosarito Baja California is situated in the Cantiles Dorados area, 28 miles south of the border. 

Contact us: 
Toll Free.- 1866 588 2252 
US (619) 270 5446 
Mex (661) 100 2076 
rosaritobeach@topproducer.com
bajainvestment.com

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Prepare for Your House-Hunting Adventure in Baja!

There are many exciting real estate opportunities in Baja, Mexico. It's little wonder that so many people are flocking south of the border to check them out. If you plan to be one of them, you should do a few things to make your house-hunting excursion as productive as possible. The first step is to find a talented, experienced and knowledgeable real estate agent. You will get that and more with RE/MAX Baja Realty. You can make all of the arrangements for meeting with an agent from home too.

Buy Insurance

You probably have no intention of getting into trouble while looking for second homes or retirement homes in Baja. As long as you buy Mexican car insurance, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Driving in Baja without car insurance for Mexico is a big mistake. The police are allowed to detain drivers who get into accidents and don't have coverage. You can easily buy high-quality Mexican auto insurance online and have it ready to go when you arrive in Baja. Make sure to do so to ensure the smoothest, easiest visit possible.

Take a Look

After speaking with you about what you want in a Baja home, your agent will come up with a list of viable options. Upon arriving in Baja, you will be taken around to look at several of them. It's smart to bring along a notebook and camera to take notes and pictures along the way. Most people need time to compare and contrast their favorite options. In some cases, one property will immediately stand out and seem like the best option. Sometimes, though, the choice can be a lot more difficult. Either way, your agent will be there for you.

Buy a Great Baja House

By the time you find the house that's right for you, your agent will help you come up with a competitive offer. You may need to arrange for financing from your lender. Before you know it, closing day will be here. There is nothing quite like buying a beautiful home in Baja. You and your family will probably want to get it all set up to your liking right away. Whether it's a vacation home or a place to spend your retirement, your Baja home is sure to be perfect.

bajainvestment.com

Monday, February 25, 2013

How Mexico got back in the game

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: February 23, 2013

IN India, people ask you about China, and, in China, people ask you about India: Which country will become the more dominant economic power in the 21st century? I now have the answer: Mexico.
Impossible, you say? Well, yes, Mexico with only about 110 million people could never rival China or India in total economic clout. But here’s what I’ve learned from this visit to Mexico’s industrial/innovation center in Monterrey. Everything you’ve read about Mexico is true: drug cartels, crime syndicates, government corruption and weak rule of law hobble the nation. But that’s half the story. The reality is that Mexico today is more like a crazy blend of the movies “No Country for Old Men” and “The Social Network.”
Something happened here. It’s as if Mexicans subconsciously decided that their drug-related violence is a condition to be lived with and combated but not something to define them any longer. Mexico has signed 44 free trade agreements — more than any country in the world — which, according to The Financial Times, is more than twice as many as China and four times more than Brazil. Mexico has also greatly increased the number of engineers and skilled laborers graduating from its schools. Put all that together with massive cheap natural gas finds, and rising wage and transportation costs in China, and it is no surprise that Mexico now is taking manufacturing market share back from Asia and attracting more global investment than ever in autos, aerospace and household goods.
“Today, Mexico exports more manufactured products than the rest of Latin America put together,” The Financial Times reported on Sept. 19, 2012. “Chrysler, for example, is using Mexico as a base to supply some of its Fiat 500s to the Chinese market.” What struck me most here in Monterrey, though, is the number of tech start-ups that are emerging from Mexico’s young population — 50 percent of the country is under 29 — thanks to cheap, open source innovation tools and cloud computing.
“Mexico did not waste its crisis,” remarked Patrick Kane Zambrano, director of the Center for Citizen Integration, referring to the fact that when Mexican companies lost out to China in the 1990s, they had no choice but to get more productive. Zambrano’s Web site embodies the youthful zest here for using technology to both innovate and stimulate social activism. The center aggregates Twitter messages from citizens about everything from broken streetlights to “situations of risk” and plots them in real-time on a phone app map of Monterrey that warns residents what streets to avoid, alerts the police to shootings and counts in days or hours how quickly public officials fix the problems.
“It sets pressure points to force change,” the center’s president, Bernardo Bichara, told me. “Once a citizen feels he is not powerless, he can aspire for more change. ... First, the Web democratized commerce, and then it democratized media, and now it is democratizing democracy.”
If Secretary of State John Kerry is looking for a new agenda, he might want to focus on forging closer integration with Mexico rather than beating his head against the rocks of Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan or Syria. Better integration of Mexico’s manufacturing and innovation prowess into America’s is a win-win. It makes U.S. companies more profitable and competitive, so they can expand at home and abroad, and it gives Mexicans a reason to stay home and reduces violence. We do $1.5 billion a day in trade with Mexico, and have been spending $300 million a day in Afghanistan. Not smart.
We need a more nuanced view of Mexico. While touring the Center for Agrobiotechnology at Monterrey Tech, Mexico’s M.I.T., its director, Guy Cardineau, an American scientist from Arizona, remarked to me that, in 2011, “my son-in-law returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and we talked about having him come down and visit for Christmas. But he told me the U.S. military said he couldn’t come because of the [State Department] travel advisory here. I thought that was very ironic.”
Especially when U.S. companies are expanding here, which is one reason Mexico grew last year at 3.9 percent, and foreign direct investment in Monterrey hit record highs.
“Twenty years ago, most Mexican companies were not global,” explained Blanca Treviño, the president and founder of Softtek, one of Mexico’s leading I.T. service providers. They focused on the domestic market and cheap labor for the U.S. “Today, we understand that we have to compete globally” and that means “becoming efficient. We have a [software] development center in Wuxi, China. But we are more efficient now in doing the same business from our center in Aguascalientes, [Mexico], than we are from our center in Wuxi.”
Mexico still has huge governance problems to fix, but what’s interesting is that, after 15 years of political paralysis, Mexico’s three major political parties have just signed “a grand bargain,” a k a “Pact for Mexico,” under the new president, Enrique Peña Nieto, to work together to fight the big energy, telecom and teacher monopolies that have held Mexico back. If they succeed, maybe Mexico will teach us something about democracy. Mexicans have started to wonder about America lately, said Bichara from the Center for Citizen Integration. “We always thought we should have our parties behave like the United States’ — no longer. We always thought we should have the government work like the United States’ — no longer.”


This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:Correction: February 24, 2013An earlier version of this column misstated the amount the United States has been spending in Afghanistan. It is $300 million a day, not $1 billion a day.