How Michael Bloomberg Became the Black Hat in a Mexican Soda Pop Standoff Dan Orlando - New York Business Journal
go to original October 12, 2013

The Mexican government wants to tax sugary drinks to curb Mexico's obesity epidemic. President Pena Nieto wants Mexicans to pay an extra peso (almost 8 US cents) for every liter of sweetened drink in a country that guzzles more soft drinks than any other and rivals the United States as one of the world's most obese nation. (AFP/rasgele01)

With Michael Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor of New York City coming to an end, I wouldn’t bank on his political career continuing south of the border. Despite a glaring lack of proof that he is anyway involved with the issue at hand, Bloomberg is playing the role of villain in a current Mexican political struggle.

In a maneuver reminiscent of Bloomberg’s ill-fated attempt to regulate the amount of sugary soft drinks that New Yorkers were consuming, the Mexican government is looking to install a tax on soda beverages, 1 peso per liter.

Mexican president, Enrique Pena Nieto, wants to fight obesity in the country and is aiming to raise $950 million from the proposed tax. With the funds he wants to install water fountains in schools.

Not surprisingly, the industry behind the production of the sugary soft drinks that quench Mexico’s thirst are not thrilled with the possibility of a tax on their products.

In a campaign to fight the proposed legislation, bottle manufacturers and sugar farmers have labeled the measure as the “Bloomberg Tax.”

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