Protests affecting tourism

Universal-Herald ^ | August 5, 2006 | rovenstinez

[rovenstinez]

In Mexico City, supporters of left-leaning candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador have taken over streets to press election officials for a recount in the disputed July 2 presidential election. Tourism officials say things could get even worse.

"If this goes on for a week or 10 days more, some hotels are going to be in a desperate situation," said Carlos Mackinlay, director of Mexico City tourism promotion.

Double-decker buses no longer tour the tree-lined Reforma, which connects the city´s Chapultepec Park to the Historic Center but is now closed to traffic. Museums, restaurants and hotels stand largely empty.

Tourists who brave the demonstrations skirt rickety gas cookers and duck under ropes holding up tarps as they hike back to their hotels. Mayor Alejandro Encinas said Thursday that city officials would guarantee access to hotels.

For now, helmetless motorcycle "taxi" drivers offer white- knuckle, 15-peso (US$1.35) rides on the backs of their bikes, navigating past lawn chairs, cots and tents.

[rovenstinez]

It amazes me how organized these 2 million committed diehards seem to be. New tents, porta potties, canvassed roofs, free food, blankets. I really would like to know who is paying for this. They really only are hurting themselves, like shooting themselves in the foot. They don't seem to be gainly any sympathy from the rest. At 7pm, their messianic leader is going to give a position speech whether they increase their civil disobedience to more non civil disruption, cutting off Internet services, interrupting banking, as with a group of 100 volunteers they closed off he border town in Reynosa and Matamoros

[ncountylee]

The despicable Fox's "victory tour" not the election or strikes keeps me from visiting Mexico. No more TJ shopping trips.

[colrpfournier]

I really would like to know who is paying for this.

The CEO of CITGO?

[EagleUSA]

And Fox is running as many of them as he can across OUR BORDERS (do we have any?) to get rid of them -- thanks to the blatant help of his Manchurian Candidate in the White House. Poverty and crime are the number one imports from Mexico now...

[pissant]

Hey blondie, com veesit me-he-co, por favor..

[Bogtrotter52]

With a possible peasant uprising looming.....I would rethink my vacation plans.

[dalereed]

Added up i've probably spent a couple of years of my life in Mexico from an hour in TJ, week long marlin fishing trips, racing, diving, and flying and spent well over $100k in that 3rd world hell hole.

They can kiss me and my money bye bye since 1990 and I don't plan to ever go there again even though it's the best marlin fishing in the world.

[cripplecreek]

I wouldn't go to Mexico anyway.

[rovenstinez]

I live in Mexico. I love it. I am Mexican. Today it is 58 degrees, I've had my jacket on most of the day, doors open. About 6,700 ft high, amidst pine trees, artesian wells, lot of nice people, just like many places in the USA. I bet if I tried, I could find some hell holes North of the Rio Grande.

[cripplecreek]

Good for you.

[shield]

Chavez........he's footing the bill....

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I am Mexican.

You also are fluent in written English. Is it true (as someone seriously suggested on FR) that it is illegal to teach English in Mexican public schools?

[rovenstinez]

That's a good question. Probably one has to go through the hoops and become a citizen of Mexico. Many Americans can teach sort of like "wetbacks" or undocumented workers and are paid good money in cash. Working for the PUBLIC schools has a lot of labor union built in rules that would make it difficult for an American citizen to teach for pay in Mexico.

[Graybeard58]

I bet if I tried, I could find some hell holes North of the Rio Grande.

Try East St. Louis, Illinois.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Probably one has to go through the hoops and become a citizen of Mexico [to teach English in Mexico]. Many Americans can teach sort of like "wetbacks" or undocumented workers and are paid good money in cash. Working for the PUBLIC schools has a lot of labor union built in rules that would make it difficult for an American citizen to teach for pay in Mexico.

You miss my point. I'm not inquiring about employment of Americans, the question is about the subject matter: Is it legal for anyone to teach English as a subject in Mexican public schools?

In a country which reportedly publishes information for domestic consumption on how to evade US immigration restrictions, anyone would suppose that the schools would also teach English. But it seems that not that many Mexican immigrants do know English when they arrive - and it's a significant handicap to them.

Even for those who do not intend to emmigrate to the north, English is a valuable language not only for tourism but for international commerce generally. Do Mexican public schools teach the subject?

[Shuttle Shucker]

According to the (Leftist) Houston Chronicle, owned by the San Francisco Chronicle, ObraGore had about TWENTY THOUSAND supporters show up at the Zocalo Sunday: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4098227.html Were those the ones who went on to form the human chain or did others do that? Either way, it would seem that support is dying down... Now if only Mexico would legislate heavily enough against the formation of such traffic-blocking human walls, especially given how the USA is finally putting a wall on its Southern border to pressure Mexico to finally embrace its own pro-entrepreneurial reformers (like Felipe Calderon, who could make life less cushy for Mexican oligarchs like telecommunications monopolist Carlos Slim).