Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM, Honda, Volkswagen
Mexico bombings affecting Big 3, VW, Honda manufacturing operations
A series of recent bombings targeting natural gas pipelines in southern Mexico has now caused five carmakers to halt production in the country. The attacks have apparently been the work of the Popular Revolutionary Army, a rebel group in the state of Veracruz. General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Volkswagen and, most recently, Honda, have all had to close plants in the past couple of days due to a lack of natural gas needed to power operations. A number of additional plants as well as supplier's plants may be affected over the next few days as well.
GM is working to switch over to propane at some of its plants, but others will remain closed until the natural gas supplies are restored. The Mexican oil company Pemex expects to have the pipelines restored and running again sometime between Sunday and Monday.
[Source: Detroit Free Press and Automotive News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
tikirob 5:26PM (9/13/2007)
It is a sad world we live in sometimes. I have never understood the concept of destroying the infrastructure it really never solves any problems just a political shove.
Rob
http://www.movie-cat.com
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bathtub gin 11:57PM (9/13/2007)
I will have to admit it worked for General Sherman, though. Same objective, BTW - spread terror among the locals, and make their lives more difficult.
Polly Prissy Pants 5:39PM (9/13/2007)
Yep, too many people with too much time on their hands. Of course you sometimes have to expect this kind of thing when you operate out of 3rd world countries.
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Ben 6:01PM (9/13/2007)
yeah like how companies should expect the twin towers to collapse when they setup their business in the US.
Viv 6:10PM (9/13/2007)
Another idiot roaming the blogs. How many times have you actually been to a "third world country"? America must be pretty safe, we don't have olympic bombings, planes crashing into buildings, our own citizens bombing down federal buildings.
testa di cazzo 11:37PM (9/13/2007)
ACtually, i HAVE live in the third world, both in Nigeria and in Bolivia, and i can tell you that, like polly prissy pants says, companies investing in third world countries are always involved in much much MUCH increased risk as compared to the US or Europe. there's no comparison.
If you're trying to compare terrorist attacks against office buildings with sabotage by rebel paramilitaries, i'm afraid you're the one who has no understanding of the third world or how it operates. in the third world, safety is a daily issue. on my drive from my home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia to our factories, i was constantly at risk of being kidnapped because i was a "wealthy foreigner". In Nigeria, i wouldn't even drive myself, the company hired a driver for me 24 hours/day because it was much too dangerous to be driving around Lagos on my own, especially when i didn't know the city too well (only was living there about a year).
just for examples, people in Nigeria are constantly drilling the oil pipelines to steal oil as it goes through to the refineries. one of our complexes was stormed 3 times by rebels trying to take it over and steal everything. these are not issues that exist in the US or Europe, only in the third world. if YOU had ever lived in the third world YOU would know that.
Sal 4:51AM (9/14/2007)
Indeed an idiot, what Mexico has to do with Bolivia and Nigeria, you don't even know what you're talking about.
testa di cazzo 10:13AM (9/14/2007)
Bolivia is remarkably similar to Mexico (i go to Mexico City many times for work, as well as guadalajara every now and again), the primary difference between the two being Mexico's proximity to the US (both geographic and political) and the amount of wealth in the country resulting from that. Kidnappings, paramilitaries, rebels, etc. are just as prevalent in Mexico (especially the south, where labor is very cheap), as in Bolivia...so you are the stupid one, and should probably just shut up
R.Autry 5:42PM (9/13/2007)
Infrastructure outages in off shore Mexico...or union strikes in the US. Hey car makers which is worse? Not all roses now, is it?
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Javi0084 5:42PM (9/13/2007)
Hank Hill would be proud.
"Propane and propane accessories." LOL
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bill 5:44PM (9/13/2007)
I must confess to not knowing about the Popular Revolutionary Army. Do they have communist ties? As corrupt as current Mexican Governments are, they may be a better bet than a bunch of crazy Communists. I suspect they must have Communist ties because American Liberals are not complaining about their activities.
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Barney 9:03PM (9/13/2007)
Apparently they were Americans. It was an attempt to make Mexico part of the USA and reduce immigration problems. It was also in retaliation of the Alamo. Bush thought the CIA was good in Iraq and probably would work even better, closer to home. It was by accident that GM & Ford were hit. The CIA were unaware that those two companies were in fact American. The origional plan was to blame it on the Pinko-Commies or Iraqis but nobody could recall if the "Proudly made In the USA" stickers were removed from the bombs. George is peeved and wants the military to try it next time. The NAFTA will come about one way or another even if it means killing every Mexican and Canadian to do it.
Richard Warren 10:11AM (9/14/2007)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Revolutionary_Army_(Mexico)
SPG 5:48PM (9/13/2007)
The only thing worse then making the daily wage for a factory worker in Mexico is getting nothing.
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Peter 6:10PM (9/13/2007)
This newsletter may provide more context (ignore the constant sales pitch to subscribe to the newsletter):
http://www.isecureonline.com/Reports/DRI/EDRIH668/
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Sgt. Hulka 6:16PM (9/13/2007)
Reason number 37125 why I thank God I was born in America.
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Colin Smith 6:29PM (9/13/2007)
"Communist" really does strike a note in Americans doesn't it. So many South American states are rotten with capitalistic corruption and exploitation that you can't blame people for seeking a socialist political alternative. In the Americas capitalism really only means US sponsored despotism, so give the people a chance once in a while.
Jorge 6:25PM (9/13/2007)
As a Mexican living in Mexico I want to say the following:
- These things are happening because of the easyness to get information for explosives everywhere, specially the we.
- Too bad a selfproclaimed revolutionary group is affecting the economy of individual persons when their work is halted for this matter. The collateral is the industries and the regional economy.
-Foreign companies should have tought about this possible scenarios when they considered they did the business of their life when moving their production to a country like Mexico.
I bet companies dont have insurance for any thing like this, to costly and limits the profits, right?
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Logik 8:50PM (9/13/2007)
"- These things are happening because of the easyness to get information for explosives everywhere, specially the we."
Nope! Ability to get information has nothing to do with what one does with that information. Anyone with ill-intent will use any information/materials they can get to cause harm to anyone or to destroy something. The problem is socio-economic. Corruption, lack of jobs, lack of education, lack of opportunities, lack of so many things, essential to building a successful society. Of course, and this is everywhere, there are people who think that world owes them something; and they use their current situation to justify their actions.
¡Muy estupido!
bathtub gin 11:55PM (9/13/2007)
As a "US-American" living in the US, I hope they catch the bastards, give them what they deserve, and everybody can get back to work again.
This is the kind of crap nobody needs.