Emigrants in Mexico are finally getting some attention. Well, I mean good attention. The level of attention they’ve been getting lately has been over the top. Targeted by drug gangs, street criminals and Mexican security, and various officials, they have been subjected to incredible harassment. Not the kind of attention anyone would want to get. It’s the kind you don’t want. Interest of this sort can leave you robbed, or raped, or if your unlucky enough in a narco-fosa, meaning a mass grave. They have the same problem that the dis-enfranchised have everywhere in the world: i.e. they can’t vote, they have no political pull. Prisoners and felons in the United States can’t vote. And there are millions and millions of them. Many members of minorities are in prison or felons, or entangled with the justice system in one way or another. Can’t vote. And then in the case of African-Americans the vote goes over 90% to the Democratic Party. It all translates to zero political leverage.
The point is that however, and for whatever reason dis-enfranchisement occurs, the results are similar. The political structure ignores or exploits the politically impotent. Especially in a country with official impunity and rampant corruption like Mexico Center Left candidate Alejandro Encinas Rodriguez has brought a five point program to the governors election coming up July 3 in Mexico’s most populous state El Estado de Mexico.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Mexico
39,000 people leave Mexico State every year for the United States and other countries. More than 8% of the population of the State of Mexico have migrated. This is some 1.1 million people. Along with two other smaller parties the PDR (or socialist) party has formed a coalition called “Let’s Do More”.
The five point program includes assisting emigrants with paper work, making sending remittances home easier, also protecting Central Americans riding “The Beast”, the train that traverses Mexico from Guatemala. PDR gubernatorial candidate Encinas would establish as well a secretariat for Migrant Affairs and institute what he calls “a very aggressive job creation program.
However the candidacy of Alejandro Encinas Rodriguez does not seem to be doing well. The PRI is well in the lead.
Sources:
Sources: El Diario de El Paso/Juarez, June 27, 2011. El Universal, June 27, 2011. El Sur/Agencia Reforma, June 27, 2011. Article by Irma Valadez and Sandra Garcia. Televisa, June 26, 2011. La Jornada, June 23 and 27, 2011. Articles by Rene Ramon, Alma Munoz, Javier Salinas Cesareo and Rene Ramon Alvarado.
Frontera NorteSur: on-line, U.S.-Mexico border news
Center for Latin American and Border Studies
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
