Border issues focus of mayors meeting
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20050723-9...
By Sandra Dibble
July 23, 2005
MEXICALI ? From drug trafficking to clogged border crossings to migration, the challenges facing Mexico's northern border took center stage as mayors
from border towns and cities converged yesterday in the Baja California state capital.
Participants said the meetings, which end today, are providing a rare opportunity to swap ideas, air grievances, and hear from Mexican federal
officials and academics about policies and plans affecting the border regions.
"We require very specific solutions and support," said Mexicali Mayor Samuel Ramos, whose city is hosting the conference together with the National
Conference of Mexican Municipalities.
Two dozens municipalities are participating, from large cities such as Mexicali and Tijuana, to lesser known communities such as Ascencion on the
Texas border and Sonoita, across from Lukeville, Ariz., and even Urique in the state of Chihuahua 300 miles from the Texas border in the heart of the
Sierra Tarahumara.
Of Mexico's 2,443 municipalities, 35 are directly on the border, though a total of 40 generally close enough to be considered border communities. But
migration and family ties have brought U.S. influence deep into Mexico.
Proximity to the United States has brought opportunities, but also problems. On the Arizona border, Nogales has grappled with a growing flow of
deportees. The city has a long tradition of offering food and shelter to the returnees, but as numbers rise ? from 200 a month in 2003 to 600 a month
this year ? the city has been hard-pressed to find the resources, Mayor Flavio Sandoval Gonz?lez said.
Local governments can't confront problems of such magnitude alone, Sandoval said.
"We have to join efforts, work with civil society, non-governmental organizations, and all levels of government. It's the only way we're going to be
able to keep supporting our fellow countrymen," he said.
A common cry was for improved border crossings and longer hours. Ricardo Humberto V?zquez Morales, mayor of Sonoita, Sonora, said a larger facility is
crucial for his community, where a large number of Arizona motorists cross on their way to and from the booming resort of Puerto Pe?asco.
Border communities have taken on a growing international role, as mayors increasingly interact directly with their counterparts north of the border.
"They conduct a de facto foreign policy that is not authorized directly in the constitution," said Jorge Bustamante, a researcher and former president
of the Colegio de la Frontera Norte, a think tank near Tijuana that specializes in border issues.
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
