Farmers Threaten To Block US-Mexico Border Crossings [NAFTA]

Voice of America News ^ | Dec. 28, 2002 | AP, AFP and Reuters

[forester]

Thank you Fitz and RN mom for your replies, it is good to see this thread is not posted in the smokey back room. Reading yesterdays Sacramento Bee I came across a related story by the AP. I do not have a web address for this because I did not want to pay $1.95 to use their search engine, so I am only posting a portion of it because I type poorly.

Panco Villa revival? Protesters try out his tactics By Mark Stevenson, Associated Press

Mexico City-There's a Pancho Villa revival going on, but it's not the books, the new Antonio Banderas movie or the nostalgia wave that worries some Mexicans. It's the real life re-awakening of Villa's violence.

Rising social unrest swept to the pinnacles of power December 10 when protesters on horseback broke down the ornate wooden doors of Congress and surged into the lower legislative chamber to demand subsidies for farmers and pay raises for teachers.

The invasion stunned lawmakers. The time for violence is long past, agreed all parties - even Mexico's leftist Democratic Revolutionary Party, which itself has flirted with violent demonstrations and rebellions.

"These violent pressure tactics are not the way to solve society's just demands", said Democratic Revolutionary congressional leader Jesus Ortega.

"You can't live in the past," said the Democratic Revolution Party's secretary-general Carlos Navarette. We can't resolve present-day problems with rifles, bullets and machetes anymore. Now we have political parties, courts and legislatures to do that." [snip]

The majority of the article discusses Pancho Villa, and never mentions why the farmers are so upset. The last quote only makes sense when those institutions have not been corrupted. Seeing that is the case, the peasants have no other alternative IMHO.

On a seperate but related note, there was also an article in yesterday's Bee by New York Times reporter Timothy Egan entitled "The silent collapse and exodus in rural U.S." Maybe someone with better computer skills then I could post this. As a veteran of the Spotted Owl Wars, this story needs to be told to the urban folks who have no idea what is happening to the producers in this country.

[RnMomof7]

Well do not celebrate its continued presence on the News forum..things have a way of diappearing:>)

[madfly]

Here is a web address for the story in the Oakland Triubue, OaklandTribune.com, should you want to post this.

http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82%257E1865%257E1079287,00.html

[madfly]

tip: I found this by typing in "Pancho Villa" in the new Google News search.

[forester]

Well do not celebrate its continued presence on the News forum..things have a way of diappearing:>)

I take it you are refering to the Smokey backroom. One of my only posts to breaking news was pulled out of breaking news the following morning due to the title..."Local Sherriff stands down federal marshals at the headgates at Klamath Falls". I notice that it was removed from my homepage when FR adopted the new format. While I continue to read the threads, I am less inclined to post then I used to be. I still am very glad that FR provided the means to get the Klamath story out, it made a difference IMHO.

[forester]

Thank you for finding the article.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Does this sound like some one-world globalist to you?

Ronald Reagan's 1980 Inauguration Speech

[RnMomof7]

I take it you are refering to the Smokey backroom

yep...unfortunate the real Free Republic is there

[FITZ]

Another update from today's paper:

Alerta por bloqueos campesinos http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.asp?notaid=24321

Con la entrada de TLCAN en materia agrícola habrá más competencia
http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.asp?notaid=24313

The second is quite interesting ---not only do we have to deal with Vicente Fox ---apparently he has a brother very involved ---seems the family connections way of doing things over there is still very in place.

[FITZ]

Another update on your post ---they're apparently doing it!

Agricultores inician el año con protestas

A partir de las 00:00 de hoy, productores de 12 organizaciones campesinas iniciaron un ayuno en el puente internacional de Ciudad Juárez, exigiendo al Gobierno federal el inicio inmediato de programas emergentes para el subsidio a la producción agrícola.

http://www.eldiariodechihuahua.com.mx/edicion/articulo/portada/notas/notappal.html

[FITZ]

And another:

Campesinos parten a Juárez

Meoqui.- Dos camiones partieron ayer de esta ciudad rumbo a ciudad Juárez, a donde se dirige un grupo de agricultores integrantes del Frente Democrático Campesino, quienes se sumarán a la toma de puentes internacionales prevista para este día.

http://www.eldiariodechihuahua.com.mx/regional/delicias/notas/notappal.html

Nothing in the papers on this side though about this ---I don't know if the border is shut down or not.

[madfly]

Thanks, very interesting.

Evangelina Sources
THE NEWSPAPER

Meoqui. - Two trucks left yesterday from this city course for Juárez city, to where Farmer goes to a group of integral agriculturists of the Democratic Front, whom will add themselves to the taking of international bridges anticipated for this day.
The manifestation is derived from the inconformidad that exists by the product liberation that from this first of January will occur in the farming sector and that puts in disadvantage to the agriculturists Mexican against the Canadian Americans and, with whom Mexico has the Free Trade Agreement of North America.

It was handled that to 12 of the day of yesterday, the game of these two units of collective transport occurred that transferred to the men of the field towards the border city in an eagerness to participate in the mobilizations that have been programmed like a way to reject the entrance without tariff of several agroproductos.
Since it had been handled from first of January of the 2003 is freed of burden to 21 American and Canadian products, milk, the sugar and the maize only stay with tax.
It is for that reason that does not consider this application of the Tlc, when one had asked for the Federal Government made a revision to the commercial treaty, specifically in the farming section right.

Before the take effect of this part of the Tlc, the farmers of several organizations between these the Fdc add themselves mainly to the protests that as of this day have been announced, in Juárez and specifically in the international bridges.

[madfly]

Here's something from Tucson press, saying the protests were averted. Can't trust this newspaper, as with most.

Mexican farmers fearful of new NAFTA changes (snip)

Today marks the start of a new wave of NAFTA regulations, which stirs fear among Mexican farmers.
Critics say the changes could lead to more illegal immigration into the United States as the Mexican economy remains soft.
Beginning today, farmers in the United States may send even more products into Mexico without tariffs.
The reduction in costs to U.S. farmers is expected to help flood Mexican markets with cheaper U.S. products and leave many farmers in Mexico unable to compete.
Farmers' simmering resentment over the 10 years of the North American Free Trade Agreement has erupted into protests around Mexico.
In the past month, farmers have ridden into the Mexican congress building in Mexico City on horseback and blocked roads leading south from the capitol.
Protests that had been scheduled for today at various ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border were put off while farmers and Mexican government officials talked about possibly renegotiating some NAFTA provisions, according to The Associated Press.

[FITZ]

I think the American papers are behind ---from the Mexican papers it seems the protest is going on and the campesinos have demanded the border be closed until NAFTA is renegociated but I think they just have one bridge closed now---the Free Bridge.

Anuncian campesinos ayuno en puente Libre

http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.asp?notaid=24434

Exigen, entre otras cosas, el cierre inmediato de las fronteras, en tanto se renegocia el TLC.