A controversial labour reform reached the Mexican senate Monday and will be discussed for the next 30 days. If passed, the bill will be sent to President Felipe Calderon for signature and if not it will return to the House of Representatives.

While the bill is supported by the House of Representatives, the opposition consider it a “robbery” of their rights, according to TeleSur.

President Felipe Calderon said the bill “has the purpose of giving employment to the people who do not have access to work today”. President elect, Enrique Peña Nieto said via Twitter, “My congratulations and appreciation to all legislators committed to the development and progress of Mexico”.

Several unions and citizen groups have been protesting against the bill outside the House of Representatives for over a week.

Workers claim that the bill violates union autonomy and would infringe on their social and worker rights. If passed, the reform would legalize outsourcing contracts, impose training contracts and base promotion on productivity instead of seniority, according to TeleSur.

It has been four decades since the Federal Labour Law has been changed.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Mexican president-elect Enrique Peña Nieto are set to meet in Buenos Aires later today.

Peña Nieto will meet with Fernandez at the Casa Rosada upon his arrival from Chile, the latest stop on his first official Latin American tour as president-elect.

Peña Nieto’s tour kicked off earlier this week with his meeting with President Otto Pérez Molina in Guatemala City followed by visits to Colombia and Brazil.

In his meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Roussef, Peña Nieto called for a “closer relationship” and “larger cooperation” between the two largest economies of Latin America.

The two economic powerhouses have been at odds over the last few years on which economic model to adopt, with Brazil taking increasingly protectionist measures while Mexico has privileged free trade. Both countries have also been competing to provide exports for the ever-growing Chinese market.

Peña Nieto will take office on 1^st December after he won the presidential elections in July. Peña Nieto’s win, surrounded by controversies of alleged vote buying and fraud, marks the return to power of the PRI party that ruled Mexico for 70 uninterrupted years from 1929 to 2000.

Two members of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) have been assassinated in 48 hours in two areas of Mexico. Jaime Serrano Cedillo, a 45-year-old state deputy, was fatally stabbed in Nezahualcoyotl, an area just outside Mexico City, on Sunday. The assassination came less than two days after that of Eduardo Castro Luque, deputy-elect of the northern state of Sonora, who was shot dead outside his home in Ciudad Obregón.

Castro Luque was shot by a person riding a motorcycle a few steps from his front door on Friday morning and died a few hours later. The 48-year-old president of the Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism was involved in a wide range of business enterprises, managing a baseball team as well as running an advertising company. His death was lamented by Sonora’s PRI president, Rosario Rodriguez Piñones, who described Castro Luque as “hardworking, honest, upright and committed to the welfare of society”.

On Sunday, Serrano Cedillo was reportedly walking along a street outside his home when he was attacked by an unknown assailant who then fled the scene. He was rushed to the hospital by family members but later died. His death was confirmed on Twitter by the president of the PRI, Eruviel Avila Villegas, who called for an investigation into the murder, writing “We will treat the person or persons responsible for this with the full force of the law. My condolences go to the family of Jaime Serrano Cedillo.”

The deaths come just a month after the assassination of the mayor-elect of the town of Matehuala in the central state of San Luis Potosí, also a member of the PRI. No arrests have yet been made.

The murder of the politicians came against the backdrop of another wave of violence in Mexico. In the latest event, 17 mutilated and semi-naked bodies were discovered dumped along a road near Guadalajara on Sunday. Although not confirmed, it is suspected that drug cartels are responsible for the massacre.

Mexican drug violence has claimed more than 47,500 lives since 2006, though so far there is no evidence connecting this with the recent killings of Castro Luque and Serrano Cedillo.

The Mexican Navy announced early this morning that it has caught one of Mexico’s most-sought-after drug kingpins, Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sánchez, who is the alleged leader of one of Mexico’s largest drug-trafficking organizations.

Costilla, also known as “El Coss,” is the suspected leader of the Gulf cartel and was marched before reporters handcuffed at a press conference early Thursday morning. Jorge Luis Vergara, a marine spokesperson, said the 41-year-old drug lord was detained without any resistance by about 30 marines at 6:00 pm on Wednesday in Tampico, located in the northeast of Tamaulipas State.

Costilla faces an array of charges and was wanted by both Mexican and US authorities. The US State Department had a reward of up to US$5m for his capture.

The arrest is a huge victory for Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s crackdown on organized crime and comes in the last few months of his reign.

The Gulf cartel has recently been engaging in a bloody battle with rival cartel, Los Zetas, for control of trafficking routes into the US. His capture comes just a week after the arrest of the suspected head of the rival faction, Mario Cárdenas Guillén. Both suspected cartel leaders were arrested in Tamaulipas state, one of the most violent states in Mexico because of battles to seize and solidify control of important cities.

Costilla features predominantly on a wanted list of 37 drug traffickers of which 20 have been captured or killed. Both Mexican and American drug agents stand by their argument that eliminating the heads of cartels weakens them, but in recent history many drug gangs have splintered creating more groups and more violence as they fight for turf. There have been 50,000 deaths, with some estimates far higher, in the last six years.

The Marines have also incorrectly named a suspect before. In June they said they had captured a son of Mexico’s most wanted man Joaquin ‘Shorty’ Guzman, only to later admit that it had not.

However, many throughout Mexico are calling the capture a huge strike against drug-trafficking in the country.

The Caravan for Peace, led by poet and activist Javier Sicilia, yesterday finished its journey in Washington D.C after travelling across the United States from Tijuana in Mexico.

The movement, comprised of the parents of more than 100 disappeared people, aims to raise awareness of the organised crime and violence that has stemmed from Mexico’s war on drugs. On its journey from Mexico, which began in August, it has visited 25 cities in the United States, carrying out demonstrations and holding meetings with State Department officials.

Upon arriving in Washington D.C, the caravan visited the headquarters of the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL–CIO) before marching up the historic Pennsylvania Avenue, ending outside the White House. Today meetings will be held with 27 congressmen and with Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico’s ambassador to the United States.

The Caravan for Peace movement demands that Barack Obama take more action in order to stop the deaths and disappearances caused by the drug war. María Gonzalez, a 56-year-old member of the campaign, explained to Associated Press: “We want them to listen to us. We are dying of grief. We don’t know where they are or why. With a death there is a grave, and you can mourn. But (the disappearance of a son or daughter) is the worst pain for a mother”.

The United States, the world’s principal consumer of narcotics, has authorised more than US$1.6bn for Mexico as part of the Mérida Plan to support the war against organised crime. According to Mexican government statistics, organised crime claimed more than 47,500 lives in the final quarter of 2011. Similarly, the National Mexican Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) stated that last year it received more than 5,000 reports of disappearances.

Sicilia, who in March 2011 lost a son to organised crime, emphasises the “enormous responsibility shared by both Mexico and the United States for protecting families and communities”, saying that the movement has put the “horror of this useless and lost war” at the forefront of United States consciousness.

Mexico’s electoral tribunal has unanimously rejected the appeal presented by the coalition of the Progressive Movement (MP) to invalidate the results of the 1st July presidential election. As a result of the ruling, the Compromiso por Mexico coalition candidate, Enrique Peña Nieto, will take office as the next president of Mexico on 1st December.

The MP had accused Peña Nieto’s coalition, which includes the historic powerhouse the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), of electoral crimes which included the buying of 5 million votes with illegal funding, supplying voters with gifts, the covert acquisition of radio and television advertising, covert campaign financing, and intervention in federal and state governments, among other things.

In its ruling, the tribunal stated that the evidence presented by the MP was “unfounded” and “lacked sufficient elements to prove that there had been the buying or coercion of votes” in favour of Peña Nieto.

The MP candidate, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, won 31.59% of the vote in July’s elections, losing to Peña Nieto who won 38.21%. After the elections there were immediate cries of foul play, leading to a partial recount followed by opposition calls to investigate the validity of the election win, and protests and demonstrations against Peña Nieto around Mexico.

The ruling will see the PRI, who ruled Mexico for most of the 20th century, return to power after 12 years in opposition.

An electoral tribunal is taking place in Mexico between Thursday and Friday to decide whether or not to invalidate the result of the 2012 elections. Although Enrique Peña Nieto formally won the elections, his victory has since been dogged by accusations of vote buying, manipulation and corruption. On 12^th July 2012 Leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador submitted evidence to invalidate the elections and the decision will be made by the 31st September.

The Electoral Tribunal (TEPFJ) yesterday released a statement confirming the existence of a draft decision which will be discussed at the tribunal. The document has been drawn up by a special committee composed of three of the seven judges from the TEPFJ.

Peña Nieto was announced as the winner of the 2012 elections on the 9^th July with the final count showing 38.21%. However he stands accused of vote buying, exceeding the campaign spending limit and money laundering on behalf of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) who have governed Mexico for almost a century.

López Obrador’s evidence against Peña Nieto was submitted in July to the IFE and the lack of a legal confirmation of the new president has left the fate of the elections hanging. Currently the country remains in limbo between outgoing president Felipe Calderón, of the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) and Peña Nieto’s new government.

If the TEPFJ decide to throw out López Obrador’s evidence, the Tribunal has until the 6^th September to declare Peña Nieto president. After this he would assume power on the 1^st December.

Spokesperson for López Obrador’s legal team, Ricardo Mejía yesterday accused the investigation of failing to properly examine all of the alleged offences committed in Peña Nieto’s campaign. In an interview with Reuters he said “The tribunal wants to close this case quickly and is trying to deliver the blow hastily.”

“We are asking for the tribunal to reflect on what they are doing to resolve this case and to think about what it means for constitutional justice.”

Mexico has become the fourth country to launch a World Trade Organisation (WTO) complaint against Argentina, a move that puts them alongside the United States, Japan, and the European Union.

The complaint, announced Monday, centres around Argentina’s import restrictions with the world trade body. Mexico became the fourth country in three months to complain about the rules which some critics have said amounts to a blanket restriction on imports.

“The government of Mexico reiterates its deep worry over the protectionist measures that Argentina is applying, as well as practices that lack transparency and affect trade between our two nations and generate uncertainty,” Mexico’s Economy Ministry said in a statement according to Reuters.

The measures are among several policies adopted by President Kristina Fernandez de Kirchner to improve the country’s balance of trade, which is crucial for keeping international reserves that are used to pay debt.

However, the Mexican complaint said that the rules “restrict the imports of goods and discriminate between national and imported goods,” and that they, “don’t seem to be related with the implementation of any measure justified under the WTO Agreement.”

The sour trade relations between the two country reached a tipping point when Argentina decided to pull out of an automobile free trade agreement it had with Mexico. The move was made because Mexico refused to apply a quota system to close the trade deficit between the two countries, which is in part caused by inflation and rising costs in Argentina that make Argentine cars uncompetitive price wise.

According to Reuters Mexico exported almost US$2bn to Argentina with only half that amount coming back in. However, because of the new restrictions Mexican exports to Argentina are down to US$111m as of June this year. The drop represents almost 40% since 2011.

Mexico recently got tangled up in a trade argument with Brazil but HSBC’s chief economist Sergio Martin told Reuters there is a big difference between picking a fight with Brazil and picking a fight with Argentina. Mexico chose a more practical route with Latin’s America’s largest economy, Brazil.

Nevertheless, the WTO has suggested Mexico and Argentina hold consultations over the next 30 days to try to find a solution. If no agreement is found in 60 days, the two countries could ask a WTO panel to mediate.

Typically Argentina has argued that its critics are all rich nations that are trying to restrain developing countries, however, Mexico’s involvement could seriously curb that argument.

Defending the country’s policies against widespread criticism at the WTO, Argentina has said it cannot be accused of restricting imports when its imports grew by 31% in 2011.

Authorities in Mexico believe they have finally made progress in negotiations with a religious cult whose members have been physically blocking teachers from entering into their small walled community for three days.

Government Secretary Jesus Reyna Garcia told Mexican media that progress has been made and the community leaders have agreed to end the standoff.

The talks came after members of the religious sect blocked roads into the New Jerusalem community and attacked children, parents, and teachers who tried to attend a small house that had been converted into a school. The church supporters, including women dressed in the robes and headscarves that the sect requires them to wear, started fistfights with residents who wanted their children to go to school at improvised classrooms set up after the school buildings were destroyed.

In July, members of the cult destroyed the numerous government school buildings in the town, saying the Virgin of the Rosary, whom they worship, told them school buildings were built by the devil and were to be demolished. They used sledgehammers to destroy the schools and then doused them with gasoline and set fire to the school furniture and computer equipment.

“It is a problem of fundamentalism,” said Garcia, “If I wanted I could make sure that classes begin tomorrow with constant police presence, but you cannot carry on like that for an entire school year.”

The blockade is affecting more than 200 children in the tiny community of 3,000. Before the progress made by Mexican authorities today, many local officials in the western state of Michoacán said it was time to call in a large-scale police operation.

“We need to remind these people that they are not living on an island,” said the governor of the state, Fausto Vallejo Figueroa, to reporters in Mexico.

Under the Mexican law, grade school education is compulsory. Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission and the Roman Catholic Church said that the refusal to allow classes in the town of New Jerusalem is a violation of children’s human rights. The school year officially began on Monday.

“They want to impose beliefs, not a religion . . . by taking away the right every child has to attend classes in government-provided education,” the Mexican Bishops Council said in a statement.

The council does not recognize the cult, which was formed in 1973 by a defrocked Catholic priest who objected to the ending of masses in Latin and other modernization moves. The community prohibits formal schooling, television, radio, modern music, dress and fashion.

Leaders of the cult are not opposed to education in general but insist on being able to appoint their own teachers, create their own curriculum, and mandate robes and headscarves for female students.

“What happens is that those people are using the school as a way to introduce to our community things that are banned, like fashion, immorality, vice, drugs and alcoholism,” said a New Jerusalem Cathedral spokesman known as Father Luis to CNN.

The New Jerusalem community also believes their compound will be the only place on Earth spared in an impending apocalypse.

In the most recent attack in the wave of violence gripping Mexico, the mayor-elect of Matehuala, a city in the central state of San Luis Potosí, was killed when leaving a party in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Edgar Morales was shot to death along with his campaign manager, Juan Francisco Hernández Colunga. The driver and another man survived the attack, and reported that they were leaving a 15th birthday party when they truck they were driving in was fired upon. Police found casings from .223mm and 7.62mm weapons at the scene.

Morales had been elected on a joint PRI-Partido Verde Ecologista de México ticket, and was due to take power on 1st December, after winning the 1st July elections.

In an alarming trend, mayors and political leaders are the latest target in the on-going drug war which has claimed some 60,000 lives since it began at the end of 2006. At least six municipal leaders were killed in 2011, adding to 2010′s toll of 15.