Frontera NorteSur
April 2001

May 4, 2001
World Bank & Banobras Money to Méxicali to Study Transportation

The World Bank and Banobras, the Mexican federal government's development bank, have approved US$90,000 for Méxicali to study its roads and transportation needs.

Anthony James, the World Bank's head of Latin American and Caribbean infrastructure, said that the Bank has a program to support cities with transportation issues. James said that to participate in the program World Bank officials must visit a city, look at its transportation plan and see if there are possibilities to provide support.

James found very good conditions in Méxicali, "It's excellent, we were impressed with what's being done here, especially in terms of helping marginalized neighborhoods. Part of this project is to help them."

Francisco Enríquez, a Banobras official, stated that his bank gives credits to viable transportation projects. He added that the new funding is also to benefit Baja California because it is a strategic and important state.

Source: La Crónica (Méxicali), April 27, 2001. Article by Carina Rodríguez Moreno.

May 2, 2001
Labor Day Marches in Baja California

Yesterday, on May 1, in Méxicali 6,000 workers belonging to various unions and organizations marched through the streets of that city led by Baja California Governor Alejandro González Alcocer and Mayor Víctor Hermosillo. Workers demanded salary increases, lower electrical rates and no taxes on food and medicine (the Fox government wants to begin taxing these items).

In Ensenada 600 workers protested for wage raises and against new taxes and the Fox government's neoliberal policies. Among the workers were people from the Seguro Social, Secretaría de Salud, Sindicato de Maestros, Federación de Sindicatos de Trabajadores al Servicio del Estado (Fstse) and the Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (CROC).

In Tijuana 3,000 teachers and members of federal unions marched across part of the city in recognition of the May 1 Labor Day. However, members of the CTM (Confederación de Trabajadores de México) and the CROC did not participate in these marches but instead had meetings at their own centers.

Source: Frontera (Tijuana), May 2, 2001.

April 24-April 30, 2001

No news articles for these days as FNS staff was in Tijuana attending the Encuentro Fronterizo on health and environmental issues.

April 23, 2001
BC Education System to Save Water and Electricity

The Baja California Sistema Educativo Estatal (State Education System, SEE) will try to save 276,017 cubic meters of water and 579,721 kilowatts of electric energy during the current school year, according to Ismael López Ramírez, Baja California coordinator for education planning. López said that this will result in savings of 2 million pesos (approximately US$211,000) which will be reinvested in 1,489 education facilities across the state.

The savings will be spent on such things as exterior-lighting control systems, energy-control systems and drip-irrigation systems.

López said that the resource-saving goals will be met through, "the participation of education authorities, principals, teachers, students and families."

The SEE is also saving resources by installing energy-saving lighting and looking for leaks in its water lines.

Source: La Crónica, April 23, 2001. Article by Magdelena López Crecer.

April 19, 2001
Gun Turn-In Program for SLRC

The Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Secretary of National Defense, Sedena) has announced that sometime in the next few days it will begin a gun, ammunition and explosives turn-in program in San Luis Río Colorado (SLRC), Sonora. Located at various points around the city will be stations where people can surrender guns, ammo or explosives to the Mexican military. The weapons may be dropped off without citizens having to fear that they will be investigated or even asked their names by military officials.

Similar programs have had success around the country according to Sedena.

The goal of the program is to reduce crime and accidents in the city. A Sedena statements says, "Remember, possessing a weapon can endanger you and your children and can cause the loss of life . . . don't wait until something irreparable occurs or a crime has been committed . . . this is an opportunity to lower the risk to your family."

Source: La Crónica, April 19, 2001. Article by Samuel Murillo.

April 17, 2001
250 Méxicali Families to Receive Awards

Yesterday, Víctor Hermosillo Celada, the mayor of Méxicali, kicked off the 2001 "Families of the Year" contest by asking families to participate in the third annual contest which is promoted by his wife, María Cristina Ramos de Hermosillo.

Ramos began the "Familias del año" project in 1999 because she saw that there were ways to honor Méxicali citizens and corporate executives but not families.

The mayor said that both large and small families have received the awards as well as families in which people suffer from disabilities.

To enter the contest families must be nominated by a member of a group or a neighborhood organization. The nomination must be accompanied by fifteen signatures from neighbors.

Families may participate in the contest if they demonstrate love, respect, integrity, unity, discipline, responsibility and civic values. Families must also value education.

Last year 213 out of 333 families won the awards for which they had been nominated.

Source: La Crónica, April 17, 2001. Article by Carina Rodríguez Moreno.

April 9, 2001
Twelve Tons of Marijuana Seized in SLRC

Near San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora (across the border from Yuma, AZ) members of the Mexican Army seized 12 tons of marijuana hidden in a shipment of oranges and arrested the driver of the vehicle. The marijuana was found in 1,942 packages of different sizes and weights. The shipment originated in Guadalajara and was to go to Tijuana.

This marijuana seizure was the largest to date in the year 2001. On March 26 of this year 11.5 tons of the drug were seized and on April 4, 1 ton 590 kilos of marijuana were decommissioned by law enforcement.

Source: La Crónica (SLRC), April 9, 2001. Article by Samuel Murillo.

April 4, 2001
BC State Prison at 247% of Capacity

As of yesterday, Baja California's state prison at La Mesa had an inmate population of 6,263 people according to prison director Jesús Torres Espejo. He reports that this is 247.2% of maximum capacity.

In 1996 the prison held 3,401 inmates and now adds 4.8 people per day to its population. Torres estimates that by the end of the year there will be 8,500 inmates at La Mesa, a number which will put the facility at 450% of capacity.

The prison was built in 1956 to hold 500 prisoners but additions over the years have brought its capacity to 1,800 inmates.

A new state prison is being built at El Hongo between Tecate and Méxicali. Its capacity will be 2,300 inmates. It should be completed by the end of the year.

Source: Frontera, April 4, 2001. Article by Jorge Morales.

March 30, 2001
BC Church Criticizes US Spring Break Behavior

The Catholic Church in San Felipe, Baja California, a city on the Gulf of California, approximately 100 miles south of the US-Mexico border, has criticized the behavior of US students on spring break.

Some of the problematic activities engaged in by US students include outdoor, topless competitions, excessive alcohol consumption and general debauchery.

For San Felipe priest Francisco Javier Magallanes Cortéz, this sort of behavior by US students sets a bad example for local youth. The priest also asked how the money earned from spring break could outweigh the negative impact on the city. He continued by saying that spring break only benefits a few individuals in the community and he wishes that US youth would respect San Felipe.

Criticizing his own town, Magallanes said that San Felipe does not have sufficient recreation areas and sports facilities for its young. "I'm making a call to local sports authorities," he said, "because we only have one basketball court and one soccer field and these are not sufficient."

For the first time in at least three years the priest will lead an Easter youth retreat for those ages 14-18. Magallanes said, "We are making an effort to bring young people to a Christian life so that they don't fall into bad habits such as drugs that only damage people's lives." The retreat is to be held at the Rotary Club facility located near the city port. So far 80 youth have registered to attend.
Source: La Crónica (Méxicali), March 30, 2001. Article by Edgar Fabián Chávez.