"EL TOQUES" YZAGUIRRE EXPRESS ROLLS ON

By Juan Montoya

You've heard of Meals on Wheels, T-Mobile and even Camarillo's Meals on Wheels.

Now, how about El Toques Ads on Wheels?

We refer, of course, to Brownsville's own urban legend Enrique "El Toques" Barroso and his wonderful mobile advertising pickup which most of us have seen cruising around town decorated with the latest candidate or – between elections – businesses and, of course, signs for Tony Yzaguirre, the Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector.

Barroso has been a longtime Yzaguirre supporter and even when Tony isn't running, his 4'x8' ads grace the sides of El Toques's troca. He started doing this years ago, when politiquerismo, believe it or not, was even stronger than today. In those days, numerous trucks such as Luis Rosas' old beat-up station wagon, competed to bear the signs of candidates . People often said that Rosas' station wagon was so rusty it would fall apart if it weren't for the bumper stickers holding it together.

Rosas had an added attraction. He was an old-time conjunto musician and he would record musical/political messages for candidates on a cassette tape and played it as he drove around the barrios exating the qualities of the candidate who paid for his services.

"Voten por Lucino Rosenbaum, el amigo del pueblo," Rosas would announce as the strains of "El Asesino" blared from his loudspeaker.

Verino "El Veneno" was another politiquero who worked the mobile ads business at election time, as did the various politiqueras who often sported the signs of opposing candidates across the rear windshields of their beaters.

However, the sole practitioner of this gaudy craft remains "El Toques".

At about 6 a.m. you will spot him barreling southbound on Old Port Isabel Road making his way across Price road and toward Nena's Cafe near the intersection of Highway 48 and Price. You can tell it's him before you see the signs adorning his nave because he's had a headlight missing for months and no one bothers to stop him.

"Es El Toques," cops say to themselves and turn back to their coffee and doughnuts at the corner Stripes.

From there he drifts towards the Cameron County Courthouse. If he has business there, he'll stop by. Since he knows the ins and outs of how to go about getting license plates and transferring auto titles, he helps many barrio dwellers (for a slight fee) and guides them through the process by referring them to public notaries who'll perform the transfers or negotiate titles and to car insurance salesmen who'll sell them policies required for the plates.

At one time his route included visiting with the early birds at joints like El Siete Mares or the 1,2,3, Lounge where he'd drum up business.
Nowadays, he is content to drive by and honk and wave; the years as they pass plunder him of one thing after another.

A few falls down the stairs of the county's administrative stairs now prevent him from scampering up and down the floors, visiting with officials and their staff, but he remains mobile with a sit-down walker that he maneuvers like he does his truck across the city.

El Toques will carry signs for any candidate during election time, but he'll never sport a sign of an Yzaguirre opponent.

"Yo estoy con Tone," he says defiantly as he backs out of a handicapped parking space across from the courthouse.

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