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---------- Forwarded message ---------- 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 --_13371532.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset"iso-8859-1" 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 --_13371532.ALT-- --83488706Content-Type: text/plain; charset"iso-8859-1" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ Ciepac-b mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://listas.laneta.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/ciepac-b --83488706-- -- To unsubscribe from this list send a message containing the words unsubscribe chiapas95 (or chiapas95-lite, or chiapas95-english, or chiapas95-espanol) to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Previous messages are available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html or gopher to Texas, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics, Mailing Lists.