Mexico City’s Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera Celebrates His First Year in Office

Mancera Affirms his Administration is Laying the Foundation for the Transformation and Innovation of the Mexican Capital

Mexico City, Mexico – December 5, 2013 - In his first year at the helm of Mexico City, Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera highlights his efforts of the past year, detailing the foundation now in place that will create a better city with increased mobility, security, infrastructure and justice.

Miguel Angel Mancera, who was inducted as the Mayor of the City on December 5, 2012, said his government is currently working on “consolidating the concept of a Social Capital, which combines and strengthens the efforts of civil society, the private sector, academia and innovation centers that reduce social gaps and discrimination.”

Under this vision of a Social Capital, Mayor Mancera said that his government has focused on the wellbeing and protection of children, in addition to establishing a healthcare system that provides more access to services for citizens. The program also promotes the prevention and detection of diseases.

Another important achievement this year was related to food security and nourishment of the population. With a budget of over USD$470 million, the government was able to implement breakfast programs in schools, add 30,000 seniors to a food pension program and increase the number of public food kitchens in Mexico City’s 16 delegations.

The Mayor also stressed that one of the major objectives of his government is to improve the quality and access to educational programs, stating “This is the reason we created the Diversified Literacy Program, which seeks to reduce the illiteracy rate by 50 percent. There are currently 140,000 people in Mexico City affected by this,” said Mancera.

As part of his promise to make tourism a priority, the local government prompted the promotion and coordination of efforts between civil society organizations and government agencies, and also strengthened the tourism offering by

launching themed products. More than 10 million people have visited Mexico City in 2013, further positioning the city as an important national and international tourist destination.

Mayor Mancera also said that more than USD$200 million were invested in the City’s infrastructure, including maintenance and new construction. In regards to the City’s public transportation system, efforts are underway to promote sustainable mobility, improve public transportation and security, especially for pedestrians and cyclists. The Mayor also recently announced a $23+ million pavement program, one of the most important programs in recent years.

Another priority this year has been the recovery of public spaces for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors. In the month of November, ten new Pocket Parks were equipped with WiFi technology, adding to the other existing recreational areas in the City.

To boost the economy of the city within the first year in office, Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera promoted over USD$112 billion in investments in various sectors, while foreign investment during the same period was nearly $16 billion.

Regarding security, the head of government provides a positive outlook and stresses that, "We are creating programs to provide quick and expert assistance to any emergency to safeguard our citizens, their property and the environment." According to official statistics, the crime rates so far have been reduced by 12.4 percent since 2012.