Expatriate of the Month

President Felipe Calderon called a major press conference this week to revitalize the Mexican tourism industry which has suffered from the after affects of the H1N1 flu virus outbreak that so far has been responsible for 68 deaths in Mexico and has infected 12,500 people worldwide.

In order to understand today's Mexico, you have to understand Carlos Salinas de Gortari's presidency (1988-1994). His reign was a watershed period in Mexico's modernization. Vilified by many (mostly on the left) and adored by some (mostly on the right), President Salinas is no doubt a brilliant, if often devious, man.

Agustin Barrios Gomez, president of SolutionsAbroad.com, has been commissioned by the newly-relaunched English-language daily The News (www.thenews.com.mx) to produce a weekly opinion column on Mexican current affairs. The column is published every Wednesday in the paper and also here online. Our president is a member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs and is an analyst of politics in North America with a degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Browse this collection of interesting and relevant articles on Mexican current events and culture. Every month a new article is published that is pertinent to the expatriate community living in Mexico.

There are a large number of charities operating in Mexico. They are for the most part well organized and run by foreigners. Charity usually goes to helping disadvantaged children with their educational and medical expenses, as well as helping poor families, disabled people, war veterans, the homeless, the elderly, and orphanages.

Having arrived in Mexico for the first time, getting in touch with an expatriate club in Mexico could prove very useful in terms of making some important contacts. Most clubs in Mexico are founded along the lines of nationality, and they generally give special attention to the needs of newcomers to Mexico.