PUB SUPPORTS FLY FRONTERA, BUS COMPANIES AVOID SAN FERNANDO

By Juan Montoya

It's as if the perfect storm is coming together for Fly Frontera.
As the body count in the grisly discovery of mass graves rises above 120 bodies in and around San Fernando some 80 miles south of Brownsville, at least three bus companies have announced they will avoid passing through there on the way from Victoria to Matamoros.
Motorists had started avoiding driving through the free fire zone already as incidents of kidnappings and murder abound as the Mexican military battles armed groups belonging to the Zetas or the Cartel del Golfo increase.
And just yesterday a group of some 30 businessmen and investors from Matamoros were hosted by city commissioner Eduardo Camarillo and the city as they sought ways to move their business investments away from the violence-wracked northern Mexico region. Tonight, Mayor Pat Ahumada will host a town hall meeting where the proposal by Public Charters to introduce regional air travel to Brownsville linking Tampico, in Tamaulipas, and Monterrey, in Nuevo Leon, with Brownsville via direct regional air travel. "
It's unfortunate for the people of Mexico, but it makes our proposal even more attractive," said Fly Frontera representative Carlos Quintanilla. "It used to be that you could just jump in the bus and you'd avoid the danger of driving. Now you're not safe either way." So far, the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation has pledged $250,000 in seed money to establish the airline, PUB has kicked in another $250,000 and the city is considering providing incentives guaranteeing at least 23 passengers in each flight.
The GBIC finds are contingent on the city approving the deal. Mexican authorities now say that they have found at least 128 bodies buried in mass graves, some of them, passengers in buses that have been stopped by armed men, robbed, and then buried in the clandestine graves. People from around Mexico are lining up around state buildings where the bodies are being identified to reclaim the bodies of their relatives. Although Fly Frontera has kept to a minimum mentioning the violence in Mexico in their newspapers ads, it is unarguably a strong selling point in their proposal before the city commission.
Ahumada scheduled the town hall meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Amigoland Event Center, 1010 Mexico Blvd, Section 3. Ahumada called on members of the business community, taxi drivers, and "anyone who supports or opposes passenger service to Mexico, or this particular company." Meanwhile, a local television station reported that about 30 investors from Matamoros toured Brownsville Monday. They came to the United States to learn about investing in the lower part of the Rio Grande Valley. The business leaders say the economy and drug war is making it tough to do business in Tamaulipas.
The investors learned about visas, permits, regulations and what it costs to run a business in Brownsville. Matamoros business leader, Marco Ramirez is glad he got this great opportunity. "Our business are well established in Matamoros. We're coming here to expand our sales and develop business across the border," Ramirez said.
Camarillo says he wants a system with a lot of information so business owners in Matamoros will bring business to the Valley. Camarillo also hopes bringing business from Matamoros to the Valley will also bring jobs for residents.