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Talking Oil & Getting Incensed

February 28, 2006 6:58 PM

Miami-based correspondent Jeffrey Kofman traveled to Mexico City recently for a piece on high-security fashion [WATCH] and blogs about an interesting skirmish that’s taking place down there.

The Sheraton Maria Isabel hotel has always boasted about its central location in Mexico City’s business district. It’s just two blocks from the stock exchange and right across from the Angel of Independence, one of the city’s most famous monuments. That gilded angel was put up there in 1910, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mexico’s War of Independence. Since then she’s been seen as the city’s guardian angel.

Angel has been hard at work lately, reasserting Mexico’s independence from the United States. And the Sheraton Hotel may never be the same.

Earlier this month, the hotel hosted a business conference on oil. Among the attendees: Americans and Cubans. The US-owned hotel received word from the US Treasury Dept. that by allowing Cubans to meet on the premises they were violating US laws against trading with Cuba.

So the Cubans were – politely – asked to leave.

Since then the Mexicans have been incensed. Front pages news. Headlines on TV.  Left and right sharing outrage over America’s “imperialism.” The Mexican government: livid… accusing the hotel of violating Mexico’s trade laws.

Today the Mexicans exacted their revenge. Local officials posted a notice on the hotel’s front door announcing that they have ordered it closed for violating a list of building code regulations.

And the Angel of Independence has stood watch through it all.

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