Mexico hit by new naturalisation row
Mexico’s national team has been hit by another row over naturalised players after coach Ricardo La Volpe said he was interested in the services of Argentine-born midfielder Walter Gaitan.
La Volpe already has two naturalised players in his squad – Brazilian-born midfielder Antonio Naelson and Argentine-born foward Guillermo Franco – and the subject has split Mexican football down the middle.
Critics are especially angry because La Volpe has overlooked Mexican-born midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco and striker Adolfo Bautista, who many feel deserve a place in the squad.
The volatile Blanco, in particular, is regarded by many as Mexico’s best player.
On Friday, Gaitan told the sports daily Record that he had met La Volpe and said he identified more with Mexico than the country of his birth.
‘I’ve known for a long time that it’s very unlikely (to be picked for Argentina) and I want to play football, I want to dream about going to the World Cup,’ he said.
More: soccernet.espn.go.com
Hotel closure after Mexico-US row
Local authorities in a district of Mexico City have announced the imminent closure of a US-owned hotel at the centre of a diplomatic row. It said the branch of the Sheraton chain had committed irregularities such as unauthorised building work and failure to provide a menu in Braille.
The announcement comes as Mexico investigates the hotel for expelling 16 Cuban officials last week. The delegation was ordered out to comply with a US embargo against Cuba.
A US law bans American companies from doing business with the island. However, the authorities in the city's central
Mexico-Venezuela row: Readers' reaction
Mexico and Venezuela's presidents, Vicente Fox and Hugo Chavez, are locked in a row, which could have serious consequences for relations between the two nations.
Mr Fox has threatened to cut off all diplomatic ties with Venezuela if Mr Chavez continues making controversial comments about him or his country.
Mr Chavez has refused to apologise for calling the Mexican President a "puppy" of US imperialism.
The BBC News website spoke to readers from both countries to get their reaction to the dispute.
More: news.bbc.co.uk
Mexico imposes sanctions on US in antidumping row
The Mexican authorities have imposed trade sanctions against certain US products in their antidumping dispute, the Mexican trade representative said.
Mexico has decided to impose an additional duty of between 9-30 pct on selected imports from the US, he said, adding that the measure entered into force on Aug 18.
The dispute with the US concerns the Byrd Amendment, which allows the US government to redistribute anti-dumping duties to US companies that allege dumping, or the selling of goods abroad at less than the market price in the domestic market.
Source: forbes.com
Mexico-US row over Cuban eviction
The authorities in Mexico say a US-owned hotel in Mexico City may have broken the law by expelling a group of Cuban officials.
The delegation was ordered out of the Hotel Maria Isabel Sheraton last week at the behest of Washington, because of the US embargo against Cuba.
Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez said the US law could not be applied in a third country. Some 30 people held an anti-US rally outside the hotel.
The Cuban government said the incident showed US policy had been affecting other countries.
The Cuban officials were due to meet
Mexico's relations with Venezuela recovering: FM
Relations between Mexico and Venezuela are recovering after a row arising from a dispute over the US-promoted Free Trade Agreement in the Americas (FTAA), Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez told Mexican radio on Monday.
Derbez said the bilateral relations are going on the right track and things could soon return to normal.
"We have to manage this with prudence and firmness. We have to keep watching how this evolves and to look out for moments which will allow us to take the path toward normalization,"
Venezuela, Mexico Leaders In Row
(AP) Venezuela called its ambassador to Mexico home Monday rather than apologize after President Hugo Chavez warned Mexican leader Vicente Fox: "Don't mess with me." Mexico responded by recalling its own diplomat.
In an interview with CNN en Espanol, Fox said he would meet with Foreign Secretary Ernesto Derbez to decide what to do next.
In a statement late Sunday, Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said that because Chavez's comments "strike at the dignity of the Mexican people and government, Mexico demands a formal apology from Venezuela's government."
But in a news conference Monday in the Venezuelan capital,
Mexico City: Justin Wilson Saturday report
Justin put his #9 Intel car on pole for Sunday's Champ Car finale in Mexico City, pacing Saturday's qualifying session with a time of 1:26.602, 0.2 seconds clear of Sebastien Bourdais and 0.3 seconds faster than Paul Tracy. With team-mate A.J. Allmendinger's provisional pole in Friday's qualifying session, this is RuSPORT's third front row lockout, having accomplished the same feat at Edmonton and Portland. Justin's Mexico City pole is his second of the season, and this will be his 4th front row start of the year.
An extra point for pole now puts him 11
Gelles Racing Monterrey, Mid-Ohio Saturday notes
Gelles Racing Champ Car Atlantic driver Stephen Simpson will start from second row in Sunday morning 3rd round of the Atlantic Champ Car series held at Fundidora Park in Monterrey, Mexico. The South African was fourth in the second qualifying in his #14 Western Union machine but overall times were faster than his second place of yesterday. His teammate Robbie Pecorari suffered a suspension problem with an off-track excursion and will start a distant 23rd. Meanwhile, the first round of the Formula BMW USA in Mid-Ohio saw four Gelles drivers finish in the Top Ten
Mexico City: Forsythe Racing Saturday report
Despite traffic woes and handling issues, Forsythe Championship Racing's Paul Tracy (#3 Indeck Lola/Ford-Cosworth/Bridgestone) and Mario Dominguez (#7 Roshfrans/Indeck Lola/Ford-Cosworth/Bridgestone) managed to grab good grid positions at the sharp end of the field for Sunday's Telmex/Tecate Grand Prix of Mexico presented by Banamex here in Mexico City. The Grand Prix of Mexico is the final event of the 2005 season as Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.
Tracy was third quickest in today's Qualifying round with a lap of 1m26.978s at 115.512mph, but will start from fourth position on the
Mexico City: Derhaag Motorsports race report
The #40 Preformed Line Products Derhaag Motorsports Daytona Prototype had a very promising weekend at the Mexico City Grand American race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The car started in the eighth row and moved up quickly with Randy Ruhlman at the helm for the first stint of the 250-mile race at the 2.518-mile 8-turn track. Traffic was a problem throughout the day, and finally took its toll for Chris Bingham, who took over driving duties midway. After marking the car's fastest times of the weekend, Bingham end up the victim of a slower car, which
