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| Courtesy El Mexicano |
You will have to excuse me, I am in the middle of re-tiling the bathroom, after this I have two more to go and I am overwhelmed. The yard and painting are still disasters. But we did get some time off and were able to attend the Lila Downs concert at the San Diego Symphony Hall, which was outstanding. I felt as others did that there was a downplay of the subject of the students of Ayotzinapa, with the projection on the backdrop screen not being the same as the released video. But everyone knew exactly what "La Promesa" (you could have heard a pin drop) was all about and people agreed with me that the entire album was a metaphor. After standing ovations, at the very end of the concert she sang "Zapata Se Queda" which drove the audience out of their minds and a sea of people flooded towards the stage, they love her. Forgetting to bring along some Kombucha or Coconut H20 I was dying of thirst so afterwards we stopped at In and Out Burgers in National City for some iced tea which at that hour is a hang out for the local kids. They had not heard the recent album so Mike gave them a copy we had in the car and they were thrilled.
The Jornaleros
According to a recent report by Juan Carlos Dominguez of Zeta, the crisis in San Quintin continues as a recent meeting with Federal Lawmakers proves non productive to the leaders of the Jornaleros who expressed their anger and frustrations during and after the meeting. Feeling patronized, deceived and without recourse due to their implorations including the immediate and complete release of their fellow strikers who were arrested and detained with what are said to be "fabricated crimes", the Jornaleros - without much money - are now planning a trip to Mexico City to hopefully meet with Osorio Chong, and this Friday another march down in Ensenada is scheduled.
The fight of the Jornaleros is far from over, according to Fidel Sanchez , "From now on we are not going to remain silent, we will be screaming as we did from day one (reference to 03/17/2015), we will be shouting to the country and to the world that we are the ones who pick the strawberries which end up in Korea, China, Japan the US, France. We are the ones that make it possible to put the fruit on the tables."
Despite the anger of the Jornaleros, Euphrosyne Cruz Miranda, Presidente of the Comision de Asuntos Indigenas en la Camara de Diputados reminded them that the Federal Lawmakers cannot order the elected officials what to do, but they can force them into fulfilling their obligations. Cruz Miranda will be mediating for the much hoped for meeting between the Jornaleros and Osario Chong.
Will it be AMLO who comes to their rescue? He has ordered Diputado Federal Jaime Bonilla of MORENA to submit a Proposal for San Quintin to focus on the infrastructure, health, shelter, water and school for the Jornaleros de San Quintin. Diputado Bonilla will be working on this Proposal with Jaime Martinez Veloz, the Comisionado para el Dialogo con los Pueblos Indigenas. One of my neighbors believes that AMLO has been working on this and had his eye on this situation since the beginning, the report should be available in ten days.
Meanwhile this Friday the 24th there will be more than 30K Jornaleros marching again on the Transpennisula Highway from San Vicente to San Quintin. God permitting says the leadership, perhaps there might be as many as 50K. (Note: here is that link - and these figures were announced by the leadership because they said that one Secretary de Labor noted that only about 2K Jornaleros were unhappy with the working conditions.) The march will begin at 6:00AM, it has been announced this will be a peaceful march. This article notes the support coming from Jornaleros who have migrated to the US and Canada to the Ensenada-San Quintin Jornaleros - and I will really be surprised if the UFW does not become involved at some point - we'll see.
Executions
The executions continue with a vengeance throughout Baja California, that is for certain. Although the violence has not been as dramatic and out of control as Sonora and Sinaloa (with video) or Chilpancingo or a few days back in Reynoso to just name a few of the hot spots. But the question which remains forever is are we supposed to accept that this is just a way of life here and act like nothing is wrong? In between times, we have been watching Wolf Hall and it struck both of us the similarities between the times then and now. One quote I remember was "Qui tacet consentire videtur" - roughly translated from the Latin it means, who is silent is seen to consent.
I'll be back. In case you missed the concert.......
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