Sunday, October 30 will be the last time Mexicans have to turn their clocks back—at least for the foreseeable future.
On Tuesday, the Mexican Senate approved, by 56 votes to 29, the elimination of Daylight Saving Time, thus ending 26 years of a measure that was introduced in 1996 during the administration of President Ernesto Zedillo.
Rocío Adriana Abreu Artiñano, president of the Energy Commission in the Senate, said eliminating “summer time” (as it is called in Mexico) was the correct decision, since the energy savings represent less than one percent of the total energy consumed each year throughout Mexico.
National Action Party (PAN) Senator Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz said having one hour less of daylight in the summer months will directly affect the health of Mexicans, and lead to greater incidence of crime.
Some municipalities along the U.S. border will be able to maintain daylight saving time, in order to keep in step with U.S. time.
The law is scheduled to take effect after the clocks go back on Sunday at 2 a.m.
The elimination of daylight saving time means that the east coast of the United States will be two hours ahead of most of Mexico during the summer months.