Article written by Simon Walker
This month, news on the cancelation of Enlace Civil's (a local NGO) bank accounts, the "Zapatista" drug bust, the perils faced by migrants, and the approval of NAFTA+.
Enlace Civil, Osmiech Bank Accounts Canceled by BBVA Bancomer
On May 18, 2005 the staff of Enlace Civil recieved a letter from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Bancomer management stating that the organization’s bank accounts would be canceled within 31 days. Enlace Civil, a non-governmental organization located in San Cristóbal de las Casas, has organized humanitarian aid for Zapatista autonomous communities since 1996. The NGO had less that 2 million pesos in its bank accounts when it received the cancellation notice. BBVA Bancomer also terminated the personal accounts of Enlace Civil staff persons.
In a press release dated May 24 of this year, Enlace Civil claimed that Adulfo Ruiz Hernández, regional legal director for BBVA Bancomer, refused to give a reason for the cancellation of the accounts, and responded that the bank "should protect itself from money laundering and that [I] had merely received suggestions as to what [I] should do." This lead to headlines in several Mexican newspapers stating that BBVA Bancomer was accusing Enlace Civil of laundering money for illicit purposes. BBVA Bancomer officials responded with a press conference on May 26, saying "at no point did we say that the decision to cancel the accounts was related with any suspicion of laundering funds destined for the EZLN." To clarify matters, the Bancomer spokesperson continued: "The contract gives us the right to cancel an account, and we did such because it is in our interests. It was an internal operational decision that we are not obliged to share with public opinion."
Enlace Civil directs donations and funding destined for social projects in Zapatista autonomous communities throughout Chiapas – projects such as health clinics, schools, libraries, potable water and drainage, vaccination campaigns, and electric power. Funds to support these programs have come from city councils and solidarity committees in Italy, Spain, the United States, Finland, France, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Greece. The municipalities and collectives of Catalunya, Spain that have worked with and supported Zapatista communities sent a letter to the president of BBVA Bancomer demanding that he "immediately retract the arbitrary and unjust accusation [against Enlace Civil] which is not based in fact."
One month prior to this action, BBVA Bancomer canceled the account of Osmiech, the Organization of Mayan Indigenous Health in the State of Chiapas. Osmiech is a group of traditional healers and doctors who work in the Highlands of Chiapas. They also happen to be Zapatistas, and their offices are located at the caracol of Oventic. The account was canceled for apparently no reason; but a BBVA Bancomer representative stated on May 25, 2005 (La Jornada) that the the bank has the right to terminate the accounts of "risk clients" as it sees fit, and with no explanation.
These actions by BBVA Bancomer in targeting NGOs that work in and support Zapatista communities are very troubling. Although Bancomer claims to never have alleged that Enlace Civil launders money for the EZLN, the news received much attention in news before the bank clarified its statements. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done; people are far more likely to remember scandalous headlines linking Enlace Civil with money laundering than BBVA Bancomer’s clarifications. Also ominous is the bank’s apparent classification of Enlace and Osmiech as "risk clients," and the lingering question of the Bancomer’s true interests in taking these actions.
Related links:
Enlace Civil 5/24/05 press release http://chiapas.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=113398
La Jornada: BBVA Bancomer’s money laundering allegations
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/may05/050527/010n1pol.php
La Jornada: BBVA Bancomer press conference
: BBVA Bancomer press conference
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/may05/050526/010n1pol.php
Presidential Spokesperson Confirms Drug Bust Not Made in Zapatista Territory
On June 23 presidential press secretary Ruben Aguilar Valenzuela admitted the marijana plantations recently raided in the state of Chiapas were not in the Zapatista zone of influence. News of these raids, made my the Mexican Army, was made public a scant two hours after the EZLN declared a state of Red Alert in its territories, on June 19. In the storm of public speculation that followed these declarations, Mexican Secretary of State Luis Ernesto Derbez and other government officials attempted to link the Zapatistas to drug trafficking by stating that the busts occured in Zapatista rebel indigenous territory.
However, as Hermann Bellinghausen reported in La Jornada on June 22, these towns "according to the Army’s own data, are not part of the ‘conflict zone’ or under ‘zapatista influence.’ In fact, the towns of Tapilula, Pueblo Nuevo Solistahuacán and Rayós (the three places where marijuana plants were found) are outside of the wide fence tended by the Federal Army around the indigenous region of Chiapas since 1995."
These towns aren’t even within Los Altos, the highland region in central Chiapas, as was initially claimed by the military. Incidentally, the military actions against the marijuana producers were carried out on June 15 and 16, but not made public until after the Zapatistas issued their declaration of Red Alert
According to the website NarcoNews.com, there is little chance that this was a simple error on the part of SEDENA, the Mexican Secretary of Defense. The marijuana plantations were found far outside the major zones of Zapatista influence, near the border with the state of Tabasco. Furthermore, there are various past attempts by previous administrations to plant drugs near Zapatista towns. Narco News’ ten part series on the Drug War in Chiapas contains many further examples of these narco-smear attempts.
Related links:
Hermann Bellinghausen’s La Jornada article
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/jun05/050622/008n1pol.php
The Narco News bulletin links:
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/6/23/103733/936
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/6/22/124158/124
Narco News’ 10 part series on the Drug War in Chiapas:
http://www.narconews.com/chiapaspart1.html
Central American Immigrants Ride the "Death Train" to America
For Central and South American immigrants hoping to reach the "promised land" of America, Mexico represents more than half their journey north. Thousands of immigrants make this journey north on la tren de la muerte – the death train. "The beast," as the train is called, runs from Tapachula, Chiapas – near the border with Guatemala – to the state of Veracruz on the Central Gulf Coast. As the train lumbers into the station at Tapachula, hundreds of immigrants who wait in hiding rush to climb aboard, cramming into empty boxcars, and clinging to the outside of the cars. Some of the travelers riding in between the train cars will fall asleep in the night, and fall from their precarious perch. Those lucky enough to survive the fall lose an arm or a leg, or both. Another danger on "the beast" the Mara Salvatrucha, a gang infamous for its violence. State officials report assaults, rapes, murders and mutilations by gang members against immigrants riding the train; the numbers of attacks and murders have only increased with the growing wave of immigrants heading north.
The train was sold to the US consortium Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. in 1999 during the privatization of National Railways of Mexico, and is run by G&W subsidiary the Chiapas-Mayab Railway Company. State officials are investigating Chiapas-Mayab for negligence and failing to comply with security norms in running the train. According to Mexican law enforcement sources, north-bound immigrants may be the main cargo of this out-dated train line. The train keeps no set schedule, and cannot travel faster than 20km/hr. Many of the train cars are empty, which makes it the easiest choice for undocumented migrants. Some federal investigations link train operators with the illegal transportation of immigrants, allowing them to hop the train, and charging for each of them. These same conductors drive the train while members of the Mara Salvatrucha pass through the train, intimidating and assaulting the immigrants and extorting money from them. Without a doubt, the conductors take their cut of the bribes.
Between June 2003 and October 2004, at least 2,154 undocumented immigrants were detained on the train by state and federal officials. This surely represents only a fraction of the actual number of migrants riding the train. In 2004 alone 70 people were killed on the train, and most of them were unidentified. It is suspected, as it has no apparent economic function, that the train is being used to transport arms, drugs and other contraband.
Related links:
http://www.contralinea.com.mx/archivo/2005/junio/html/8col/index.htm
Mexico, Canada and United States sign NAFTA Plus
Mexican, Canadian and American officials met in Ottowa, Canada on June 27 to finalize NAFTA Plus, a battery of 313 regulations regarding commerce, highways and frontier crossings which intend to form a "theory of common security" between the three nations, according to US Interior Secretary Michael Chertoff. NAFTA Plus is the next step in the "Society for Security and Prosperity" that was launched by the leaders of the three nations at a meeting in Waco, Texas on March 23 of this year. The regulations seek to standardize the policies of monitoring travelers and goods as the pass between the three countries. This includes a unified visa system for the three countries, the categorization of travelers as "high risk" or "trustworthy," and the future use of "smart card" technology.
Mexican Governance Secretary Carlso María Abascal Carranza stated that Mexico "is obliged to share security strategies to create a common front against the threats of terrorism and transnational organized crime."
In terms of facilitating border crossings, NAFTA Plus hopes to establish a set of common visas that will allow "trustworthy" or "reliable" travelers to pass between nations easily, while screening out "high risk" travelers that may pose a threat to security. This would involve the development and use of "necessary technology," including "smart cards" and biometric identification processes. In theory, the system will also allow for a smoother transition of commercial goods across the borders, while clamping down on the transportation of contraband and illegal goods.
NAFTA Plus will also normalize the immigration policies of the three countries. Part of this plan is already being tested out. Since earlier this year, US Customs agents have been handling the immigration and customs duties at the international airport in Cancún, Quintana Roo. In turn, the United States will allow Mexican agents to perform similar tasks at the Atlanta airport.
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2005/jun05/050628/003n1pol.php
