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Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 19:10:03 -0600 (CST)
From: CIEPAC <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: En;[Ciepac-b] English Chiapas al Dia 498 B A YEAR OF DEATHS ON
THE
"Chiapas Today" Bulletin No. 498
CIEPAC; CHIAPAS, MEXICO
March 15th, 2006
A YEAR OF DEATHS ON
THE ARIZONA DESERT
(2004-2005)
Migrating from or through Mexico to the United States without visas, 473
persons died last year along the border before reaching their
destination. Most died of exposure to the elements (i.e., they froze to
death in the mountains or died from heat stroke and dehydration in the
desert or they drownedin canals or rivers). Some were murdered. The
10-year total of border-area migrant deaths is over 3,000. They died
looking for work. Looking for one of the 4-D jobs (dirty, dangerous, dull,
domestic) that Americans disdain. At home in Mexico and Central America
meanwhile, economic policies have destroyed millions of jobs in the
countryside and in the cities .
A fact studiously ignored in the United States (see, for example, Time
magazine's February 6, 2006 cover story on migration), is that the US has
promoted the same economic policies that have wrought disaster. But the
chickens have come home to roost with a vengeance. There has been a
significant upsurge (300% in ten years) of emigration from Mexico and
Central America. People can't find jobs at home and American policy makers
shun asking why.
The response in the US has been a partial gamut of options: beefed-up
border security, raising walls, threats of sanctions to employers who hire
undocumented migrants, persecuting day laborers in Wal-Mart parking
lots. All options are exercised. Except one. The only one that would
make a significant advance in solving the migratory crisis, i.e., a
thorough revision of economic policies. Open-market, neoliberal policies
enshrined in free-trade agreements make it illegal for Mexico and the
Central American countries to protect certain strategic and vulnerable
parts of their economies. Protecting economies would entail the use of
tariffs and duties to keep out competing goods from (principally) the
United States. Yet by protecting their economies, countries such as Mexico
would be able to resume successful industrialization programs that created
jobs. Likewise, protecting the rural sector from cheap, highly subsidized,
US agricultural products would help reestablish livelihoods on small farms,
allow people to stay on the land and preclude the need to migrate to survive.
Yet it appears that exploring such options, the real root cause of
emigration, is verboten in the United States. It's not even seriously
discussed in academic circles.
While the blinders remain on, "sealing the border" will continue to be an
attractive alternative for American policy makers, even though it is
certain to fail in the long run. Other stopgap measures, such as President
Bush's "guest worker" program, and similar initiatives pending before the
US Congress, will not make more than a token dent in granting legal status
to a fraction of the estimated 500,000 Mexicans who, without visas, cross
the border successfully every year and find jobs.
While hundreds of thousands of migrants succeed, hundreds die every
year. Studying the following list is one way to comprehend the human
tragedy transpiring as summertime temperatures on the desert reach 118-120
degrees F. (48-49 degrees C.). It is only a partial register of the people
who died in fiscal year 2004-2005, since it was gathered along a single
stretch of the 2,000 mi (3,200 km) border, i.e., the busy Arizona sector.
In addition, most human and migrant rights activists say that the number of
dead grossly underestimates the true number of migrants who die each year,
since the register is only of bodies found. Many more migrants are
separated from the group because some physical impairment prevents
continuing the walk, get disoriented in unfamiliar desert or mountainous
terrain and eventually die from exposure, but their remains are never
found. It is common for migrants to relate that they frequently passed
human remains during their trek.
Although the economic policies that the United States promotes (and
demands) of Mexico and Central America are behind the hundreds of tragedies
compiled in the following table, reading the names of the dead and the
circumstances in which they died can only lead us to question why the
Mexican government doesn't do more to protect its citizens. Why aren't
serious diplomatic efforts made to stop immoral operations that force
migrants into inhospitable terrain in a vain attempt to "discourage"
crossings? Why does the Fox government back down to American pressure and
stop the distribution of pamphlets with life-saving tips on surviving the
3-4 day trek from the border? Can we imagine what the response of the US
government would be if this many Americans were, for whatever reason,
needlessly losing their lives?
The following list was compiled by the Tucson groups Human
Rights Coalition / Without Borders Indigenous Alliance, for fiscal
2004-2005 (October 1-September 30).
<http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/>http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
P.O. Box 1286
Tucson, Arizona 85702, EEUU
Tel: 520-770-1373
To see the original table, visit:
<http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/deaths.php4>http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/deaths.php4
Miguel Pickard
CIEPAC, A.C.
Due to the fact that this bulletin contains a formated table, which may be
deformated if sent by e-mail, we refer you to the following link where the
table is located on the web:
<http://www.ciepac.org/bulletins/ingles/ing498.htm#tabla1>http://www.ciepac.org/bulletins/ingles/ing498.htm#tabla1
CIEPAC is a member of the Movement for Democracy and Life (MDV) of Chiapas,
the Mexican Network of Action Against Free Trade (RMALC) www.rmalc.org.mx,
Convergence of Movements of the Peoples of the Americas (COMPA )
<http://www.sitiocompa.org>www.sitiocompa.org, Network for Peace in
Chiapas, Week for Biological and Cultural Diversity
<http://www.laneta.apc.org/biodiversidad>www.laneta.apc.org/biodiversidad,
the International Forum "The People Before Globalization", Alternatives to
the PPP
<http://usuarios.tripod.es/xelaju/xela.htm>http://usuarios.tripod.es/xelaju/xela.htm,
and of the Mexican Alliance for Self-Determination (AMAP) that is the
Mexican network against the Puebla Panama Plan. CIEPAC is a member of the
Board of Directors of the Center for Economic Justice
<http://www.econjustice.net/>http://www.econjustice.net and the Ecumenical
Program on Central America and the Caribbean (EPICA)
<http://www.epica.org/>http://www.epica.org.
Note: If you use this information, cite the source and our email address.
We are grateful to the persons and institutions who have given us their
comments on these Bulletins. CIEPAC, A.C. is a non-government and
non-profit organization, and your support is necessary for us to be able to
continue offering you this news and analysis service. If you would like to
contribute, in any amount, we would infinitely appreciate your remittance
to the bank account in the name of:
CIEPAC, A.C
Bank: Banamex
Account number: 7049672
Sucursal 386
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
You will also need to use an ABA number: BNMXMXMM
Thank you! CIEPAC
Note: If you wish to be placed on a list to receive this English version
of the Bulletin, or the Spanish, or both, please direct a request to the
e-mail address shown below. Indicate whether you wish to receive the email
or the "attached file" (Word 7 for Windows 95) version.
Email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web page: <http://www.ciepac.org/>http://www.ciepac.org/ (Visit us: We
have new maps on the situation in Chiapas, and a chapter with more
information on the PPP)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
CIEPAC, A.C.
Centro de Investigaciones Economicas y Politicas de Accion Comunitaria
Calle de La Primavera # 6
Barrio de la Merced
29240 San Cristobal, Chiapas, MEXICO
Tel/Fax: en Mexico 01967 674-5168
Fuera de Mexico +52 967 674-5168
spa
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
"Chiapas Today" Bulletin No. 498
CIEPAC; CHIAPAS, MEXICO
March 15th, 2006
A YEAR OF DEATHS ON
THE ARIZONA DESERT
(2004-2005)
Migrating from or through Mexico to the United States without visas, 473
persons died last year along the border before reaching their destination.
Most died of exposure to the elements (i.e., they froze to death in the
mountains or died from heat stroke and dehydration in the desert or they
drownedin canals or rivers). Some were murdered. The 10-year total of
border-area migrant deaths is over 3,000. They died looking for work. Looking
for one of the 4-D jobs (dirty, dangerous, dull, domestic) that Americans
disdain. At home in Mexico and Central America meanwhile, economic policies
have destroyed millions of jobs in the countryside and in the cities .
A fact studiously ignored in the United States (see, for example, Time
magazine's February 6, 2006 cover story on migration), is that the US has
promoted the same economic policies that have wrought disaster. But the
chickens have come home to roost with a vengeance. There has been a
significant upsurge (300% in ten years) of emigration from Mexico and Central
America. People can't find jobs at home and American policy makers shun asking
why.
The response in the US has been a partial gamut of options: beefed-up border
security, raising walls, threats of sanctions to employers who hire
undocumented migrants, persecuting day laborers in Wal-Mart parking lots. All
options are exercised. Except one. The only one that would make a significant
advance in solving the migratory crisis, i.e., a thorough revision of economic
policies. Open-market, neoliberal policies enshrined in free-trade agreements
make it illegal for Mexico and the Central American countries to protect
certain strategic and vulnerable parts of their economies. Protecting
economies would entail the use of tariffs and duties to keep out competing
goods from (principally) the United States. Yet by protecting their economies,
countries such as Mexico would be able to resume successful industrialization
programs that created jobs. Likewise, protecting the rural sector from cheap,
highly subsidized, US agricultural products would help reestablish liv!
elihoods on small farms, allow people to stay on the land and preclude the
need to migrate to survive.
Yet it appears that exploring such options, the real root cause of emigration,
is verboten in the United States. It's not even seriously discussed in
academic circles.
While the blinders remain on, "sealing the border" will continue to be an
attractive alternative for American policy makers, even though it is certain to
fail in the long run. Other stopgap measures, such as President Bush's "guest
worker" program, and similar initiatives pending before the US Congress, will
not make more than a token dent in granting legal status to a fraction of the
estimated 500,000 Mexicans who, without visas, cross the border successfully
every year and find jobs.
While hundreds of thousands of migrants succeed, hundreds die every year.
Studying the following list is one way to comprehend the human tragedy
transpiring as summertime temperatures on the desert reach 118-120 degrees F.
(48-49 degrees C.). It is only a partial register of the people who died in
fiscal year 2004-2005, since it was gathered along a single stretch of the
2,000 mi (3,200 km) border, i.e., the busy Arizona sector.
In addition, most human and migrant rights activists say that the number of
dead grossly underestimates the true number of migrants who die each year,
since the register is only of bodies found. Many more migrants are separated
from the group because some physical impairment prevents continuing the walk,
get disoriented in unfamiliar desert or mountainous terrain and eventually die
from exposure, but their remains are never found. It is common for migrants to
relate that they frequently passed human remains during their trek.
Although the economic policies that the United States promotes (and demands)
of Mexico and Central America are behind the hundreds of tragedies compiled in
the following table, reading the names of the dead and the circumstances in
which they died can only lead us to question why the Mexican government doesn't
do more to protect its citizens. Why aren't serious diplomatic efforts made to
stop immoral operations that force migrants into inhospitable terrain in a vain
attempt to "discourage" crossings? Why does the Fox government back down to
American pressure and stop the distribution of pamphlets with life-saving tips
on surviving the 3-4 day trek from the border? Can we imagine what the
response of the US government would be if this many Americans were, for
whatever reason, needlessly losing their lives?
The following list was compiled by the Tucson groups Human Rights
Coalition/ Without Borders Indigenous Alliance, for fiscal 2004-2005 (October
1-September 30).
http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/ (http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
P.O. Box 1286
Tucson, Arizona 85702, EEUU
Tel: 520-770-1373
To see the original table, visit:
http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/deaths.php4
(http://www.derechoshumanosaz.net/deaths.php4)
Miguel Pickard
CIEPAC, A.C.
Due to the fact that this bulletin contains a formated table, which may be
deformated if sent by e-mail, we refer you to the following link where the
table is located on the web:
http://www.ciepac.org/bulletins/ingles/ing498.htm#tabla1
(http://www.ciepac.org/bulletins/ingles/ing498.htm#tabla1)
CIEPAC is a member of the Movement for Democracy and Life (MDV) of Chiapas,
the Mexican Network of Action Against Free Trade (RMALC) www.rmalc.org.mx
(http://www.rmalc.org.mx/) , Convergence of Movements of the Peoples of the
Americas (COMPA ) www.sitiocompa.org (http://www.sitiocompa.org) , Network for
Peace in Chiapas, Week for Biological and Cultural Diversity
www.laneta.apc.org/biodiversidad (http://www.laneta.apc.org/biodiversidad) ,
the International Forum "The People Before Globalization", Alternatives to the
PPP http://usuarios.tripod.es/xelaju/xela.htm
(http://usuarios.tripod.es/xelaju/xela.htm) , and of the Mexican Alliance for
Self-Determination (AMAP) that is the Mexican network against the Puebla Panama
Plan. CIEPAC is a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Economic
Justice http://www.econjustice.net (http://www.econjustice.net/) and the
Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean (EPICA)
http://www.epica.org (http://www.epica.org/) .
Note: If you use this information, cite the source and our email address. We
are grateful to the persons and institutions who have given us their comments
on these Bulletins. CIEPAC, A.C. is a non-government and non-profit
organization, and your support is necessary for us to be able to continue
offering you this news and analysis service. If you would like to contribute,
in any amount, we would infinitely appreciate your remittance to the bank
account in the name of:
CIEPAC, A.C
Bank: Banamex
Account number: 7049672
Sucursal 386
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
You will also need to use an ABA number: BNMXMXMM
Thank you! CIEPAC
Note: If you wish to be placed on a list to receive this English version of
the Bulletin, or the Spanish, or both, please direct a request to the e-mail
address shown below. Indicate whether you wish to receive the email or the
"attached file" (Word 7 for Windows 95) version.
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
Web page: http://www.ciepac.org/ (http://www.ciepac.org/) (Visit us: We
have new maps on the situation in Chiapas, and a chapter with more information
on the PPP)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
CIEPAC, A.C.
Centro de Investigaciones Economicas y Politicas de Accion Comunitaria
Calle de La Primavera # 6
Barrio de la Merced
29240 San Cristobal, Chiapas, MEXICO
Tel/Fax: en Mexico 01967 674-5168
Fuera de Mexico +52 967 674-5168
spa
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http://listas.laneta.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/ciepac-b
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