By Juan Montoya
We now have two city commission candidates running for re-election pushing for the naming of a city street for ICE agent Jaime Zapata, who was slain in Mexico, the mayor of the city getting his surgery done in Matamoros, and U.S. drones flying overhead across the border.
Some of us still have relatives in Mexico, have investments there, U.S. retirees live there and workers from there (legal and illegal) are here among us.
There is a hue and cry that the drone operations, first reported Wednesday by The New York Times, 
in Mexico by opposition leaders. But the U.S. has known about this all along (as have Mexican officials who approved the U.S. requests). These politicians have often criticized the involvement of U.S. agencies on Mexican soil.
in Mexico by opposition leaders. But the U.S. has known about this all along (as have Mexican officials who approved the U.S. requests). These politicians have often criticized the involvement of U.S. agencies on Mexican soil. Last week, the Mexican Senate voted to summon Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., Arturo Sarukhan, to talk about allegations that U.S. ATF agents allowed guns to be smuggled into Mexico as part of investigations into drug trafficking through the so-called Operation Fast and Furious.
Mexican Sen. Luis Alberto Villareal said direct U.S. involvement "violates trust and undermines national sovereignty."
The Associated Press reports that more than 35,000 people have died since President Felipe Calderon launched a stepped-up offensive against the cartels in late 2006.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection acknowledges it has flown drones into Mexico, and that it has been going on for years. In July 2009, the agency sent an Unmanned Aerial System, or drone, into Mexico to help investigate the murder of CBP Agent Robert Rosas, who was shot and killed while he was on a routine patrol near San Diego, CBP spokesman Juan Munoz-Torres said. Before the anti-immigrant hysteria of recent years, it was common for local families to hire Mexican nanny from Matamoros for $50 to $75 a week to take care of the kids and cook and clean house while the parents worked or the woman of the house recovered from childbirth. Local businessmen and well-to-do homeowners hired gardeners and maids and could be seen driving them in their new cars to the bridge on the weekends and picking them up Sunday evenings or early Monday mornings. The Drive in in Matamoros, Los Portales, and other well-known watering holes in downtown Mata were full of snowbirds and Brownsville residents who could relax in comfort is a kind of "Whatever happens in Mata, stays in Mata" attitude prevalent along the border. We're glad to see that the mayor can still feel safe enough to get medical treatment in Matamoros. For many local families, it was the only place they could afford medical and dental care without breaking the household finances. That is all gone now. Nowadays one needs a flak jacket just to wander outside at nights in some parts of the city across the river. If you own a business, extortion and kidnappings are hazards you face every day. Will it get to the point where people in our generation will tell our children and grandchildren that when we were in high school we would walk across the river every weekend and dance and party the night away without the worry of getting caught in shootouts, kidnapped or our parents extorted for our safe return. Are are we there already and we didn't even know it?
Mexican Sen. Luis Alberto Villareal said direct U.S. involvement "violates trust and undermines national sovereignty."
The Associated Press reports that more than 35,000 people have died since President Felipe Calderon launched a stepped-up offensive against the cartels in late 2006.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection acknowledges it has flown drones into Mexico, and that it has been going on for years. In July 2009, the agency sent an Unmanned Aerial System, or drone, into Mexico to help investigate the murder of CBP Agent Robert Rosas, who was shot and killed while he was on a routine patrol near San Diego, CBP spokesman Juan Munoz-Torres said. Before the anti-immigrant hysteria of recent years, it was common for local families to hire Mexican nanny from Matamoros for $50 to $75 a week to take care of the kids and cook and clean house while the parents worked or the woman of the house recovered from childbirth. Local businessmen and well-to-do homeowners hired gardeners and maids and could be seen driving them in their new cars to the bridge on the weekends and picking them up Sunday evenings or early Monday mornings. The Drive in in Matamoros, Los Portales, and other well-known watering holes in downtown Mata were full of snowbirds and Brownsville residents who could relax in comfort is a kind of "Whatever happens in Mata, stays in Mata" attitude prevalent along the border. We're glad to see that the mayor can still feel safe enough to get medical treatment in Matamoros. For many local families, it was the only place they could afford medical and dental care without breaking the household finances. That is all gone now. Nowadays one needs a flak jacket just to wander outside at nights in some parts of the city across the river. If you own a business, extortion and kidnappings are hazards you face every day. Will it get to the point where people in our generation will tell our children and grandchildren that when we were in high school we would walk across the river every weekend and dance and party the night away without the worry of getting caught in shootouts, kidnapped or our parents extorted for our safe return. Are are we there already and we didn't even know it?
4 comments:
Ahumada is much like a drone; empty....but unlike a drone in that Ahumada is totally unguided and out of control. Ahumada, like Charlie Atkinson, loves to hear himself talk and takes every opportunity to promote himself. His vanity has no limits. While a drone flys high and quiet, Ahumada is more like a one man band....shouting and pounding to get people to watch him. I'll take the drone.
The bad guys in Matamoros don't want to kill or kidnap Pat Ahumada. They know that if they kill him it might cause this city to organize under new leadership which would be good. That would be bad for the bad guys. At the same time, they don't want to kidnap Ahumada because they know no one would pay. They would have to give him back and embarrass themselves or kill him...about which has been stated. Ahumada likes Matamoros because over there he is given a respect he only can dream of on this side. Ahumada is a DICK!
(don't want to kill or kidnap Pat Ahu)
Es camaronero el buey. Para que lo quieren? Dale una or dos virongas y ya se va para la casa.
Isidro.
I don't disagree with renaming a street after Agent Zapata. It would be nice if they would kill two birds with one stone in the process, however. Central Avenue should be selected instead of Coffeeport. While the name Coffeeport is unique to Brownsville, and is part of our history, Central Avenue is the cause of much confusion because we also have a Central Blvd! As someone who lives near Central Ave., I have had to explain many times that I am not talking about Central Blvd, when giving directions to my house. Both Centrals intersect Boca Chica, both run north and south, and both are on opposite ends of town. Since Central Ave. cannot by any means be considered central, geographically speaking, they should select that street for renaming. Also, please do not only rename a small portion of the street! The one block of Iowa that has been renamed Jose Colunga is very confusing to everyone who lives around here!!!
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