News Archive - August 23, 2010 to October 13, 2011

Battalions of Federal Police arrived in Acapulco over the weekend, as initial evidence of the new “Operation Safe Guerrero.” Where similar operations have been initiated in the country – like Veracruz, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas, federal forces have rounded up local law enforcement personnel, to administer polygraph tests and drug tests. Those who flunk are prosecuted for corruption.

This was the second severe cave-in along the Costera Alemán in the current rainy season. The reasons are the same: a weak infrastructure, made even less resistant because of soggy soil, simply gave way, causing the road to drop by over three feet.

At 2:48 pm the previous day, a similar incident occurred not far from the Costera in the Magallanes district, near the shopping complex La Diana. Once more the culprit was said to be the decrepit state of the storm drain sewer and pipes that lay underneath. The cave-in was on Juan Pérez Steet, a few steps from Federal 1 Junior High. CAPAMA estimated that the road would re-open within two days.

The operation started with Artículo 27 Street, between Cuauhtémoc and Chihuahua, and Sonora Street from Manuel Acuña to Niños Héroes, being a total of ten city blocks that carry intense traffic.

The municipality’s Director of Public Roads and Streets, José Luis Flores Vinalay, directed the operation, pursuant to instruction from Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños, who asserted that “the action of reserving parking spaces for private use on public streets will no longer be tolerated in Acapulco.”

As part of the operation, officials removed seven very large stones, 15 plastic chairs, two large beach umbrellas, pails, buckets and signs, meanwhile informing the property owners that there will be follow-up to ensure that the illegal practice does not recur.

The Secretary of Education of Guerrero stated that only 52 schools were closed, but the teachers’ union denies that, saying that 3,500 teachers have refused to report to classes, affecting 50,000 students.

“We want the Army and the Navy to be present,” they said in a press conference. Teachers are feeling tense, fearful, and more than anything, suspicious. They want no names and no photographs because “we do not know everyone, and we are afraid of ‘infiltrations.’”
Early in the day a large banner appeared with accusations from crime gangs, in a secondary school in Zapata, further increasing anxieties among the workforce. Banners with the same message allegedly appeared in an administration building and in another junior high in Renacimiento. In Zapata, at school 104, parents are frustrated with the police. They have organized their own surveillance for suspicious persons around the school, trying to clear the area between the building and the Comercial Mexicana, several blocks away, which was burned out by a battle between narco-gangs and law enforcement last April 4. The parents recount frightening experiences with exchanges of gunfire, kidnappings, assaults, and baseless arrests of youths in school uniforms.

There is a five-sided area of Acapulco, called D-1 by the authorities, which is a demarcation of the areas of greatest poverty. School 104 is a reflection of the reality faced by schools in what are called “popular” neighborhoods, described by the press as “forgotten by the authorities, where the urban scene changes drastically to many commercial outlets with no organization whatever, excessively heavy traffic, long stretches of concrete and undergrowth, overflowing with water, dirt and mud, without any illumination, walls 400 feet long stained with black graffiti, and a wrecked, abandoned police patrol car, out of which plants are growing.”

The Rafael Ortega Kindergarten in Zapata shows a similar situation: clean and orderly school grounds, surrounded by the very opposite, where dirt roads join paved ones, urban anarchy, a swarm of street food vendors, and streams of water overflowing the drainage system in the middle of dirt washed down by rains from the higher slopes.

“We will not return to classes until the insecurity is over, that’s our only request,” the teachers reiterated. They added that they would distribute study guides to those students who could try to pursue their studies at home.

The law enforcement authorities and education administrators expressed the view that the problem is not the result of organized crime violence, but rather, juvenile vandalism. They pointed out that there have been relatively few, if any, violent incidents in the areas around the public schools. Nevertheless, police officials agreed to assign 150 patrolmen to educational centers in Zapata and Renacimiento, to keep order and provide security to the teachers.

Notwithstanding the outcome of yesterday’s meeting, today handwritten signs were posted on several elementary schools in Zapata and Renacimiento and a junior high school in La Venta, advising “Classes canceled until further notice.” The work stoppage affected kindergartens, elementary schools and junior high schools, but not all of them failed to reopen today. Personnel from the closed schools said that they were responding to threats received by teachers and administrators. Rumors circulated that the closed schools would reopen tomorrow. A number have been closed since Monday. Authorities believe that the isolated closures are not the result of a concerted job action by the teachers’ union, but rather initiatives taken by personnel local to the schools affected.

The decision was taken after a fire drill performed at the location, during which officials noticed several deficiencies in physical plant and disorganization in the procedures employed by the entity for emergency evacuation. They noted the lack of illumination and the lack of anti-skid mats on the more than 100 steps used for escape. Escape facilities for the infirm and handicapped were missing altogether. Automatic LP gas shut-off valves and electrical power interrupters need to be installed as well.

The casino location will be closed for anywhere from 15 to 30 days to allow for the modification of the space and the installation of necessary equipment.

The project is proposed in three phases, starting with the Costera Alemán and La Quebrada, and then adding the Scenic Highway (La Escénica) and eventually the Diamond Zone on one extreme, and Pie de la Cuesta on the other.

The project, which will require an investment of $280 million pesos ($180 mm of which will come from federal funds and the remainder from State and City budgets), includes the installation of new equipment in various strategically located places. The proposal has been presented to Municipal officials, who reacted very positively to the idea, as it improves security and also stimulates tourism.
The congressman said that he would seek to earmark resources for the effort and support the project as much as possible. He said, “The hope is that Acapulco will overcome the problem, as has been the case in other places, like São Paulo (Brazil), Bilbao (España), Colombia, Miami and New York, to guarantee security and peace for its residents and visitors,” he said.

The warning came during remarks made at the inauguration of construction of the Lomas de Chapultepec aqueduct, which will provide additional water to Acapulco in a few years. The governor said he spoke with Francisco Blake Mora, chief administrator of the federal government, saying that it is not sufficient to attack problems of insecurity with more army, police and guns, but rather through a program of economic revitalization for the municipality. In particular, he advocated providing credit and financing for hotels and restaurants that have had to close.

“I asked him to help us prepare for the next few lean months, when tourism drops off sharply. We have to confront the crisis that is coming.” He also requested a temporary employment program for laid off workers, and training programs. The governor was explicit that when the level of economic activity falls sharply, organized crime groups get busy with recruiting efforts, and it is tempting to take “the easy offer.” The governor expressed confidence that Acapulco would progress well and revive, with better occupancy levels. “Those of us who oppose the violence vastly outnumber those who create it,” he said.

The governor mentioned that on August 30 he would inaugurate the “macrotunnel” project which, in a matter of a few years, will connect the bay side of Acapulco directly with Puerto Marqués and Coloso in the Diamond Zone.

In separate press interviews the two business leaders admitted that the views of the private sector and of the government are very different. They have instituted a voluntary one-day-per-week “solidarity layoff” amongst employees, to avoid having to cut people entirely from the payroll. But that means everyone earns 16-20% less now. The two insist that the high levels of violence have contributed to the falloff in tourism, and they said that the next long weekend (for the Independence Day holiday on September 15-19) does not look very bright, either. The problem, they say, is that the businesses had such a poor summer that they have no reserves to make it thought the tough months of September through mid-November. Such occupancy as the hotels have managed to muster comes from deep discounts, attracting a much less affluent type of visitor. They buy food at super markets and avoid going out to bars, restaurants and clubs. “The per capita expenditures seen today are about 20% lower than in previous years,” said Saldívar.

“This is not a mere ‘little problem’,” he said. “It is very grave: we do not have the income to keep going.” Saldívar was clear in his reproach of those who try to paint a rosier picture. In spite of its competition, Acapulco is still a “noble destination,” he added.

Ms. Álvarez expressed her dissent from the government approach to the problem, which emphasizes public relations and promotion as the solution. “I cannot say to you that what the Secretary [of Tourism] says is what we have to live with daily,” she responded. “The discos are making an effort to survive and are closing one or two days each week, and only one disco opens on weekdays so as to stay alive. It is not that they lack promotion. Visits to discos have fallen to near nothing because of the insecurity problem . . . What needs to stop is the promotion of this insecurity. Even though all Mexican destinations have this problem, Acapulco always has first place in the lurid headlines.” She added, “Acapulco is a 100% tourist town; if you do not understand that much, you are out of touch or not a realist. We all suffer when the tourists do not come.”

The Guerrero Secretary of Tourism Promotion reported that this past Sunday, hotel occupation was under 40%. The traditional zone reported 30% while Diamante came in at 44%, the high for the region. A survey made by the newspaper El Sur disclosed that the beaches were empty of tourists, and the restaurants virtually abandoned. Few vehicles could be seen on the usually busy corridors. At 10:00 am on Saturday morning, artisan markets and shops along the Costera had almost no customers. La Condesa, usually frenetic at night, was dead quiet.

Part of the chase was covered by civilians, broadcasting events via Twitter. Several reported hearing gunfire, from the Zócalo to the end of the chase.

Later last night, more murders were reported in the Vicente Guerrero neighborhood, in the outlying area near the toll road to Mexico City. Around 4 a.m. police found two men, one 25 and the other 18, both executed gangland style. An hour later, at the area where Avenida Cuauhtémoc meets the maxitunnel, police found a decapitated woman in the trunck of a Nissan Sentra. She was approximately 25 years old. Two hours later, in Emiliano Zapata, also outside of Acapulco proper, a 35-year-old victim of organized crime was located in a vacant lot. All the “narco executions” were informed to police by anonymous tips.

Then, taking a posture slightly inconsistent with the idea of a truce, the politician demanded that the authorities whose job it is to ensure public safety and to prosecute criminals “comply with their responsibilities to guarantee a peaceful environment for the population.” The implication was that some law enforcement personnel, from the bottom to the top, are actually in the employ of organized crime, and are receiving money for not doing their sworn duty. This was an explicit accusation made by President Calderón the previous day in his remarks about the narco terrorism at the Casino Royale in Monterrey.

Both Yak and Play City are on upper levels of the shopping malls and each has a capacity of 300 to 350 persons. Neither one has more than one emergency exit. In the case of Yak, the emergency exit goes through the kitchen, which can easily be engulfed in flames in the case of a fire. The exit is a narrow, metal staircase that is shared as an emergency exit with the movie theaters and several other businesses. This casts even more doubt on the adequacy of the emergency facilities.

In addition to the number and location of emergency exits, the rules require that the doors open outward and that they be wide enough to permit rapid evacuations. The spokesman for the city government said that the fire in Monterrey “obliges us to be more strict” in insisting on compliance with the fire laws. In other words, until the disaster in Monterrey, the officials were not enforcing the safety laws in Acapulco, but now they will. Acapulco has 288 establishments subject to these regulations, of which 30 are discos, 68 are nightclubs of different types and 190 are bars. According to municipal officials, all of them will be inspected, and the safety laws will be imposed on those out of compliance.

The violence is not limited to armed robberies, but also includes kidnapping and extortion, especially “protection money” charged by different gangs.

Merchant protestors are proposing to petition the Supreme Court to authorize them to withhold tax payments for so long as the municipalities are unable or unwilling to provide security to its citizens. Many frustrated individuals imply, without making an open accusation, that much of the crime is tolerated and ignored by law enforcement because they are being paid off by criminal gangs. Recent testimony from captured organized crime figures confirms the allegation, though it is not known how widespread the corruption has become.
The merchants called upon schools and universities to compress their hours of operation to the range of 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. They will meet again on September 6 to reassess the situation and to take whatever further action they deem appropriate, depending upon the response of governments to their complaints.

The changes in the grid that will make it more difficult to steal electricity are still being implemented, but thefts have been reduced by 1.5% in the last six months, according to the official of the utility. Acapulco leads the nation in thefts of electrical energy. An estimated 35% of all consumption of electricity in Acapulco is stolen by illegal, unmetered connections to the distribution system. This translates to approximately $1.2 billion pesos per year (about US$100 million).

Unpaid bills amount to $500 million pesos. The company indicates that 85% of the 280,000 CFE customers in Acapulco and surrounding municipalities are behind in paying their bills. Around 65% of the invoicing is for heavy users, like hotels, also chronically behind in payments.

The announcement was part of a press conference to promote a free exchange of incandescent bulbs for the energy-saving fluorescent kind. CFE is now offering a free exchange of the old style bulbs for the new ones, up to four per customer, at certain stores (Soriana, Coppel and Chedraui).

Acts of violence in the tourist zone began just a few days after the summer holidays began. On July 15, a female tourist was hit by a stray bullet on the beach at El Morro, near La Condesa. The next day, a tourist was killed when gunmen shot and killed a state government official in the El Zorrito restaurant. Two others were wounded. On July 30, on the beach called “Playa Angosta” (near La Quebrada), two more persons were shot and killed. And on August 3, gunfights sprang up all over the city, including the tourist zone. On that night a taxi driver was killed outside the Tabares strip club, and another in front of the dance club and bar Mojito. Another taxi driver was killed and cars were burned at the taxi stand on the Costera between the Hotel El Tropicano and the nightclub Baby ‘O (near Wal-Mart). Another taxi driver was murdered and two vehicles incinerated on the Costera in Costa Azul, in front of the Comercial Mexicana.

For lack of security, gas stations throughout Acapulco are now limiting their service hours in protest of the violence and in light of the fact that the governments seem incapable of doing anything to stop it. Starting Friday, August 19, gas stations in Acapulco will close from 1 pm to 4 pm in protest. They sent a sharply-worded message to the President of the Mexican Republic, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa. The action was stimulated by a robbery of a gas station in Hornos (between the Traditional Zone and the Golden Zone, on the Costera), which left one employee wounded by a gunshot. There had been five robberies prior to that one in a matter of 24 hours, and on Monday, three had died in an exchange of gunfire.

Soon a documentary filmed last January will be aired on national television in which President Calderón says that the violence associated with narcotics trafficking has not affected tourism. With respect to this controversial (and evidently preposterous) statement, Añorve said, “I am 100% in agreement with him.” He keep citing hotel occupation statistics as support for the argument.

The evident “official” line for politicians and bureaucrats is to deny the problem and say that any problem can be overcome by a public relations effort. Meanwhile, the private sector decries the denial of the problem from the political sector, and points to inaction or at least ineffective action on the part of the government. The only promotional and public relations effort for Acapulco this year that has seemed to have local impact is the “Speak Well of Aca” campaign, which was a private sector initiative.

The private sector also points out that hotel occupancy is down, that whatever there is has been caused by deep discounting, and that visitors do not spend money in bars, in restaurants or in transport, but rather stick to the beaches with food and drink purchased at grocery stores. No matter what the hotel occupancy, the attendance at restaurants and night clubs after 9:00 has all but vanished.
The mayor promised, without any details, “a grand promotional effort” in support of tourism in Acapulco for these months of September through October, which would be a joint effort of the municipality and the State of Guerrero. After a couple of long, patriotic holiday weekends in September, the calendar is usually open and traffic slack until late November. These are the “hungry” months.

The investigative file disappeared from the attorney general’s office at some point between 2009 and May of 2010. The matter was transferred bureaucratically between the state and federal governments for another year. The present attorney general said he had to start the investigation over again from scratch, and that important evidence had been destroyed by insiders per instructions from the highest levels of the state government. The Zeferino Torreblanca administration had sought to implicate “guerrillas” as the culprits; however, no motives were ever clarified. According to the AG, “In the two and one-half months since we have been able to recommence the effort that was shelved and stalled by the previous administration, we are working on certain lines of investigation designed to discover the most logical motives and to avoid the manipulation and alteration of evidence. We have discarded lines of thinking that were in the case to cause distraction or to manipulate inappropriately the course of the inquiry.”

Attorney General Rosas said that the previous administration did not show “99% of progress” as it had announced, but rather “99% confusion.” This was a reference to Governor Torreblanca’s (now fully discredited) statement that the case had been resolved and that the only thing missing was the arrest warrants against the guerrillas. The current focus of the Attorney General’s investigation is to identify who gave the orders to suppress evidence and shelf the investigation, and why. Given the loss and destruction of evidence under the previous administration, this path is more likely to lead to the perpetrators than a more direct route, General Rosas said.

Brígida Rosa María Trani Torralva, head of the finance committee of the city council, mentioned that the peddling of influence, the political patronage and nepotism have also damaged the economic stability of the entity, as unqualified people who perform no work take up space on the payroll and participate in the looting of the assets of the company. “CAPAMA should be non-political,” she said, “and stick to its technical function. It is indispensable that we restructure it and impose greater supervision on the meter readers and on those who arrange for new hookups.” She also pointed out that property owners with years and years of unpaid water bills, who have friends in high places of government, manage to compromise their obligations for a tiny percentage of the amount due. Thus the organism loses another considerable quantity of money. In short, the money leaks are worse than the water leaks. “If we had clear detection of the clandestine hook-ups in the tourist zone and the [wealthier] subdivisions, CAPAMA would receive millions of pesos more than it does now. It really does not have a real census of who its true customers are,” said the councilwoman.

The main benefit of the project will be to alleviate the congestion and traffic delays that have become commonplace on the existing roadway. Traffic is constantly increasing, as the two sides of Acapulco – the bay side and the so-called “Diamond Zone” – increasingly become interconnected.

Governor Aguirre met with representatives of the National Bank of Public Works and Services (known as Banobras), the institution that will bank this public project. They agreed that this is the most ambitious project the state of Guerrero has seen since the toll road from Acapulco to Mexico City (the “Autopista del Sol”), in terms of magnitude, expense, and public benefit. No mention was made of the deadline for bids, or whether the project will be divided into segments, or when work is expected to commence on the ground.

The governor took the opportunity to remind the press of other development projects his administration is backing, such as the “Metrobus” for Acapulco and Chilpancingo (to replace the decrepit fleet of converted school buses that serve as public transportation today), and the important opening of the 45 km segment of road that connects Coyuca de Benítez in the Costa Grande with the main road axis north to Mexico City.

Behind the San Diego Fort a few minutes later, on Hornos street, steps away from the town’s offices for tourism, education, culture, civil protection, ecology and human resources, a gunfight broke out between rival groups. Two vehicles were shot up by stray bullets, but no one on the sidelines was hurt. The perpetrators fled without being pursued by law enforcement. The municipal employees spent several minutes flat on the floors of their offices until they were sure that the gunfire had stopped.

While driving near the traffic circle in the middle of the Progreso district, a man was shot and killed, apparently by crossfire between two criminal groups. Andrés Ángel Rosario was part of the cast of a local television program called “Out of the Closet” a gay and lesbian show produced by Siga Tv for cable.

Several other assassinations took place in the outlying areas of Acapulco, and two more persons, a policeman and a taxi driver, were apparent victims of crossfire between more rival gangs. At 10:00 at night, the day’s last victim was shot as he entered the Maxitunnel from Renacimiento. He was driving a collective taxi.

In a related story on Érika Lührs, it was reported that her appraisal of the summer vacation period in Acapulco was “positive.” This is a frontal contradiction of the appraisal given by private sector leaders, who yesterday said that this short, “high season” was “bad to terrible.” She said that the authorities measure hotel occupancy and the number of vehicles that come into Acapulco off the toll road, and she said, in essence, that the labor leaders and private business people were exaggerating their complaints. She said, “Acapulco took a lot of hits this past year. There were many more negative news stories than positive ones, and even so we exceeded our expectations for hotel occupancy, which were 60%. Recently it has been above 85%.” Critics of the administration say that if Érika Lührs wants to be mayor of Acapulco, she would be well-advised to start solving the problem rather than denying that it exists; she needs to listen to those who work in the tourist sector and stop saying that they do not know what they are talking about. She also announced the expenditure of about USD$25,000 in advertising within the greater Mexico City area to try to attract tourists during the month of October, which has traditionally been the poorest month of the year. This year it is being called “The Month of Acapulco” in the ad campaign.

In a tour made by reporters, who visited 11 of the 14 plants, it was discovered that six of them are chained and locked, inactive, shut down. Raw effluent is thus allowed to flow into the sea without any treatment.

According to CAPAMA, 264 liters per second are treated in their water treatment facilities; but the reality is quite different from that. The Puerto Marqués treatment plant (on the road to Revolcadero) is without any system operator, and as a result, a large amount of untreated water is channeled into the Black Lagoon nearby. The plant in Vicente Guerrero 200 has been shut down for around a year and a half, according to nearby business owners. Other shut down plants include “Limite Sur” (with 15 liter/sec capacity), and “Miramar.” The “La Mira” plant is the one that just channels the untreated water into the sea, at 15 liters/sec. The plant can be observed from the higher parts of the neighborhood, and looking down on it, one can see how all the settling pools are cracked and dried, indicating it has been idle for months. The plant in “El Coloso” (90 liters/sec) has been functioning at only half capacity, and the one at “Paso Limonero” (near the La Venta toll booth) is able to operate at only 25% of its capacity, according to an employee who asked for anonymity.

The plant at Cuidad Renacimiento (475 liters/sec) also discharges into the Sabana River a considerable quantity of untreated water. At Aguas Blancas, the site of another Capama water treatment plant, the horrid odors have been an intolerable nuisance and pestilence for thousands of adjacent neighbors. The plant at Pie de la Cuesta, km 30, is also said to be functioning at minimum capacity.

The $720 million pesos that the federal government was to invest in CAPAMA is nowhere to be seen; neither is the gift from the Spanish Government, offered to improve the quality of water flowing into the bay. The money has not been stolen yet; it just has not arrived, since neither CAPAMA nor the governmental authorities has yet complied with the preconditions for obtaining access to these funds.

Antonio Casarreal Hernández, a partner in the Unión Restaurant, opined that both the national and international tourism markets had been very low, especially on weekdays. He said that each year the amount of tourism has fallen, and that the statements made by mayor Manuel Añorve Baños (to the effect that it had been a good vacation period) are wrong. In the end, there was little tourism, and it has not been a good vacation period. Likewise, Oscar Bustos, who heads the local restaurant and bar association, said that the nightclubs had no high season at all, in spite of the private sector’s attempts to work with the tourism authorities. To this point, they have seen none of the promised results. He complained that the government people have not promoted the port as a tourist destination, adding, “He who says that Acapulco had a good high season is saying so because he doesn’t live in Acapulco.” Salomé Gutiérrez, who works with an aquatic services cooperative, added that this has been the worst high season in many years. “It’s been terrible,” he said. He elaborated that the port has been hit by “insecurity,” even though the drop in tourism is not so much a result of the violence as from a lack of promotion to counteract the negative image that the violence has caused.

The representatives of owners and workers at hotels and restaurants re-emphasized that, in spite of the fact that the municipal authorities are saying that the summer season has been very good, the hoped for boost in tourism in July and August did not occur. Weekends were better than weekdays, when occupancy was 50% or less. According to union leaders, this is reflected in the hiring halls (for temporary hotel workers), where many persons waited for a job, but never got a chance. “In the first weeks of the high season, yes, they all found jobs, but from the third week on, no,” said one CTM (union) official. “On weekends occupancy would go to 70 or 80% but would drop to 50% Monday-Thursday. It never reached 90% as hoped for.”

This sentiment was echoed by restaurateurs in Caleta, who averred that this was the worst summer season in over ten years. They attributed the drop to the swarms of ambulatory beach vendors, who chase customers away, to insecurity, to the economic crisis and to the lack of promotion of Acapulco in its main origin markets. Some places are so empty they seem abandoned. “The first two weeks were so-so,” said one Caleta restaurant owner, “but there has been next to nothing these last weeks. May was a better month than August. Moreover, we are crawling with beach vendors, and our sales drop; but it is we, not the beach vendors, who pay taxes.”

Meanwhile, the state controller’s announced 22 administrative investigations of former officials from the Torreblanca government, mainly in the state departments of health and education, for mismanagement or embezzlement of public funds and other acts of corruption.

Tourists typically drink only bottled water; restaurants and hotels avoid the use of tap water for everything except bathroom use. The low quality of the water most affects those who live in the poorest areas of town.

The experts took samples of tap water from the downtown area and nearby Progreso, as well as from Renacimiento, El Coloso and Colosio. The samples were then analyzed at a private lab. All were found to be within the limits specified for potable water; however, biochemist Juanita Fontova Román recommended not drinking the water for fear of possible damage to the body. In her opinion, it could be used for bathing and brushing teeth, but its internal consumption should be avoided whenever possible.

The problem, according to specialists, is that many gastrointestinal diseases are common in Acapulco, caused in part by ingesting food or drink that has been contaminated or spoiled; however, the main cause of these maladies is drinking tap water without chlorinating it or boiling it first.

Dr. Roberto Martínez de Pinillos, president of the Guerrero Medical Federation, said that the water “could be coming out of the El Cayaco water treatment plant in a potable condition, though that is certainly not guaranteed; however, because of the poor condition of the distribution network, the water that arrives at the majority of residences and businesses is a chocolate brown color, which, of course, is contaminated.”

According to Dr. Martínez, the diarrhea and other gastrointestinal maladies seen so frequently in the local population are from this cause, and children and older people are the portions of the population most heavily affected because of deficiencies in their immune system. Health statistics are deficient on this subject, but the number of cases presented is “considerable,” especially in the surrounding communities. Dr. Martínez said that these gastrointestinal diseases are one of the principal causes of death in Acapulco’s rural zone. Illnesses include bacterial and viral diseases like salmonella, giardia, and e-coli.
Doctor Javit Kuri Guinto, a nationally-prominent gastroenterologist and surgeon, added his comments to those of his colleague. He said that the most recommendable measure would be for CAPAMA itself to inform the population that the water it distributes is really not 100% potable. This would avoid a huge number of avoidable gastrointestinal infections and deaths.

In a related story, more residents of outlying districts demonstrated at CAPAMA yesterday to protest the lack of water in their neighborhoods and a collapsed drain that his causing sewage to back up.

Those who do not know the road might think it is a wide, spacious limited access highway, considering that the trip from Mexico City to Acapulco and return costs well over US$100 in tolls, a higher per-mile cost than virtually anywhere else in the hemisphere. But no: the road is narrow and winding. It is not a limited access highway; and sometimes it is reduced to just one lane in each direction. Recently travelers have complained of the poor maintenance of the road, with potholes so deep they can ruin tires and break axles. Services along the road are scarce, as it winds through the wilderness of the Southern Sierra Madres. Now, in addition to poor road conditions and drunk drivers, travelers also need to keep an eye out for highwaymen and robbers.

One popular drug gang activity is to throw bodies off the half-mile-long suspension structure called Solidarity Bridge (between Paso Morelos and Chilpancingo). Since 2008 over 40 cadavers have been found in the deep ravine 500 feet below. Another bridge on the route, El Zapote Bridge, has also been used frequently by organized crime for the purpose of disposing of bodies. Near the first tunnel on the route, at Agua de Obispo (after the Palo Blanco toll booth), gunmen hide out in SUV’s by the side of the road, flagging down cars and trucks. Typically they steal the cars and kidnap the drivers. As a result, many frequent visitors to Acapulco from Mexico City now avoid driving the route at night.

Both Governor Aguirre and Mayor Añorve have called upon the federal government to step up security operations along the Autopista del Sol, as it is under federal jurisdiction.

“Obviously we are affected by the violence. We cannot hide what is going on; if we are asked, we try to explain that the violence takes place in the poorer neighborhoods outside the tourist zone, but recently, the tourist zone has also been affected,” Ms. Pineda declared. One of her clients witnessed the murder of a man outside the Mojito disco in Condesa. Pineda quoted the woman: “The woman said, ‘I came here to have fun, and a dead person falls right in front of me.’ No matter how pleasant the rest of her trip, that one disagreeable event will spoil everything.” Pineda also pointed to the murder last Sunday of a taxi driver and the burning of his vehicle right in front of the Cici Water Park in Costa Azul. She had clients who had taken their children to the water park. They personally witnessed the murder and arson. “This sort of thing cannot be remedied by public relations and denials of the impact of the problem,” she said, clearly referring to recent statements by tourism officials that minimized the impact of violence on tourism in Acapulco.

Responding specifically to a report that a detachment of marines was observed surrounding a film crew, the mayor said that the film was being made by TV Azteca for the Navy Department, and the marines were there because they were part of the subject of the film, and not as some sort of heightened security, as had been reported. He added that the municipal government is always glad to help film production crews with their projects, and sometimes that involves security and traffic control, and “we do it without charging them one peso, different from other tourist destinations.”

The mayor mentioned specifically and ad for Lincoln automobiles last year, which showed off the natural beauty of the port city. Over the weekend episodes of the soap opera “Una Familia con Suerte” were filmed in Acapulco by Televisa, and “universities are always coming to film documentaries,” the mayor added. National Geographic and Fox Sports have filmed events in Acapulco within the last year.

In a separate interview, Acapulco’s secretary for tourism promotion, Érika Lührs, clarified that TV Azteca is filming a series called “La Teniente” (the female lieutenant), and for that reason, they are using several hundred military as extras in the production, most of them stationed at the VIII Naval Region base in Acapulco.

“The rules already exist,” said the environmental law enforcement official, “What remains is to see them applied.” The problem is that the zone in question is undeniably in federal jurisdiction, but state and municipal authorities also have functions there. He explained why it is that beach vendors still abound in spite of the interest and commitment of all three levels of government. Though he did not use a baseball metaphor, the sense of it was the same: Three outfielders race towards the same fly ball, and it falls to the ground in the middle of them.

Báez and Lührs said in a joint press release, “The priority is to recover Acapulco’s image as a safe and secure destination, clean and in order.” The state government has formally registered the trademark “Tianguis Turístico de Acapulco.” The tourism chiefs also announced that Acapulco would participate on its own n the International Tourism Fair of the Americas (FITA) in Mexico City in September.

The reconciliation of the two tourism secretaries came after differences had emerged between them concerning how to handle Gloria Guevara’s hijacking of the Tianguis Turístico in Acapulco. PRI party loyalists in Acapulco had openly criticized the appointment of Báez to the State position. At one point, Báez refused to allow Lührs to participate in a meeting, and this created an impossible atmosphere between two officials who are virtually required to work together.

Diabetes is the number one cause of death in Mexico.

Acapulco Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños made a public statement affirming that Acapulco had complied with all federal requirements and that the official’s decision to cut off aid for Acapulco was the result of “a misunderstanding.” Añorve said, “We are going to clarify this in the next few hours, and everything will be back to normal.” He emphasized that the federal revenues are not at risk of being lost, noting that the problem was “a poor interpretation of the bureaucratic requirements.” Such a statement leaves much room for interpretation, but is likely to mean that someone in the city government missed a deadline or failed to follow instructions.

When asked what effect this subsidy might have on violence, in the face of the fact that more than 35 people were murdered in the last week, Añorve said “These circumstances, which nobody can deny, will not conquer us. We will keep closing ranks and creating more secure situations, together with state and federal authorities. We are not standing with our arms folded; we will guaranty safety for the tourists and create conditions for investment.”

The only municipality in the State of Guerrero that was not cut from the federal subsidy list for failure to comply with the legal requirements was Iguala, which will receive $3 million pesos.

Ms. Báez indicated to reporters that in her opinion the recent acts of violence in Acapulco, several of them in the tourist zone, were “isolated incidents.” She reiterated that during Holy Week Acapulco reached 98% hotel occupancy, and that “tourists like coming to Acapulco, the have fun coming to Acapulco, they feel secure in Acapulco, and for that reason they keep on coming.” In response to a reporter’s question, Ms. Báez answered that “fortunately the tourists that have been affected [by the question of violence] are a small number compared to the total of those who arrive. Really, it is not a significant number,” she said.

To her credit, Érika Lührs, Acapulco’s secretary of tourism, acknowledged that the violence has hurt the city’s tourist trade, but agreed that counteractions to the negative press are being taken much more rapidly, to minimize the damage. The two spoke of counteracting Acapulco’s negative image through public relations campaigns and promotional activities, mentioning television spots in Mexico City. Critics in the tourism industry in Acapulco had said that the promotional efforts were nil or almost nil, and that you can’t counteract violence with public relations. Ms. Báez mentioned the contract with Zimat Consultores, which was made public just a couple of weeks ago, even though it commenced in April and now is past its halfway point. The contract is controversial because it pays over $22 million pesos, but has not resulted in any efforts that critics have been able to qualify as positive and concrete.

Separately, representatives of Mexico’s Confederation of Labor (CTM), which represents workers in Acapulco’s tourism sector, blasted the two secretaries of tourism for saying things that were unrealistic. Senator Antelmo Alvarado García, the Guerrero Secretary General of the CTM, said “of course the violence affects tourists. It is not the same thing to look at it from behind a desk as it is to live the situation. They [Báez and Lührs] don’t know; we live with this in the hotels, we hear the waiter complain, the housekeeper, they talk about everything that’s going on, that suddenly they have to refuse service at night because the boss doesn’t give them taxi fare to go home, and they are afraid to go out in the streets.” He added, “The reality is that we are even afraid to speak out.”

As for the prospects for Acapulco, the labor leader declared, “This is going to be much more damaging than the Tianguis Turístico affair, that is a real truth. Our leaders need to get going and act, and if not, they need to go.” He also predicted “terrible repercussions” from the recent murders in the Condesa area and on the Costera Alemán. When asked about Graciela Báez’s statement that the tourists keep on coming in spite of the violence, he said, “She is safe and cozy in her office; we are the poor ones who have to work.”

Even in the very center of town, CAPAMA has been unable to supply water for the last eight days. Neighborhoods in the historical area of Acapulco include El Teconche, Las Pocita, Pozo de la Nación, El Mesón, El Pasito and Las Crucitas. The newspaper’s offices received what it called “an avalanche of tweets” from dissatisfied citizens, reporting that CAPAMA also had failed to supply water to Las Playas, Infonavit Alta Progreso, Bocamar, Cuauhtémoc, El Roble, El Morro, Icacos, Farallón, Ensenada, 20 de Noviembre, Almendros, Jardín, Loma Bonita y Mozimba, El Coloso and Luis Donaldo Colosio – virtually the entire city.

“Even though our society’s needs are great, in light of the violence we are facing throughout the country, and even though the actions of the military may be completely justifiable, the constitution does not make it legal,” he said. “Article 129 of the Constitution prohibits the military from performing civil police functions,” Dr. López remarked, “even if it be necessary to prevent the violation of individual rights.”

The attorney added that the Army and the Navy are not prepared, trained or equipped to perform police work or to carry out criminal investigations. It is a “necessary evil,” but you should not permit one evil to combat another. It would be preferable to establish an independent national police force and relieve the military of this additional, unconstitutional, assignment.

One of the troublesome consequences of disregard for the constitution’s prohibition is the disposition of soldiers accused of crimes while on civil police duty: are they to be tried in military or civilian tribunals? Recent decisions indicate that civilian tribunals have jurisdiction, even though commanders object to this invasion of their authority. Soldiers have been accused of theft, murder and rape while performing police functions, especially in the remote, highland villages where historically atrocities have been committed against indigenous peoples. Dr. López opined that the military tribunals would be more appropriate, and that “military tribunals are more honest.” Many citizens believe that in civil courts justice can often be purchased.

The United States Constitution has a provision similar to the one in the Mexican Constitution. As a result, the state governors may call upon the National Guard to respond to a need for domestic rescue and peacekeeping, but the national military may not be so assigned.

Acapulco mayor Manuel Añorve Baños gave an interview to the newspaper El Sur, in which he stated that this recent rash of violence is due to a “reshuffling of the drug groups and organized crime.” He reiterated that the municipal government, together with state and federal authorities and the Army and the Navy, will continue to pursue and extinguish these gangs. After the recent arrest of “El Koreano” (a reputed kingpin in CIDA, Acapulco’s home-grown drug cartel), several gangland executions have taken place, as factions realign themselves. The mayor asked that “we do not let ourselves get distracted by organized crime; we need to be busy taking care of the thousands of visitors who continue to come to Acapulco, and to promote sports, culture, and education.”

“Everybody is always moving,” said Secretary Báez, “not only the participants, but also the spectators.” She added that this event is another in a series of special promotions of Acapulco, which will become Mexico’s headquarters for “bossaball” enthusiasts. The sport has recently been heralded by international media as today’s top emerging sporting activity.

The daily events will start at noon and go until 8:00 pm on the beach in front of the Acapulco Princess hotel. Admission is free.

CIDA is an offshoot of the gang headed by Edgar Valdez Villareal, “La Barbie,” who was arrested last summer. His organization was disputing territory with the Beltrán Leyva gang. CIDA, known for its extreme cruelty, is reportedly divided, with factions fighting each other for local turf. The alleged drug king-pin was shipped off to Mexico City for detention.

Today it was announced that the municipal government intervened to arbitrate between passengers and cruise line, and that all the stranded travelers would receive full reimbursements. Most of the bookings were made to visitors from the Federal District. In addition, the cruise line offered a week’s lodging in Acapulco as a form of consolation. Reimbursements will be made directly into the travelers’ bank accounts by today. The disappointed cruise ship patrons have been put up at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Acapulco, awaiting a disposition of the crisis. In all, about 750 persons were affected by Ocean Star’s inability to take on passengers in Acapulco on Sunday.

The investigators at the newspaper stated that some national TV spots have appeared, but the results have been nil in terms of benefit to tourism business in the port city. Several tourism professionals in Acapulco, interviewed by reporters, opined that the promotional activities of Zimat Consultores have not been effective, and that they should be audited. In the past, tourism promotion has been a public budget item easily susceptible to graft and corruption because the services are intangible and difficult to evaluate. The president of the College of Tourism Graduates in Guerrero State, Gustavo Solís Sánchez, seconded the motion to audit the government contractor, because the “promotion budget for Acapulco” is not “reflected in the inflow of vacationers.”

Zimat Consultores is obliged, evidently, to contact and organize events with opinion leaders and celebrities, and to design and implement web sites and social networks and to generate photos, videos and page designs for the promotion of Acapulco. The investigative reporters claim that notwithstanding all this, no outputs are visible.

The manager of Estrella de Oro, which usually schedules 30 daily departures each day to Cuernavaca and Mexico City, told the press that the number of buses running their routes is about the same as last year; the difference is that this year the increase in buses because of summer vacation travel was late in coming. Nevertheless, she said the load factors – the number of passengers boarding each bus – is very low. Estrella de Oro is offering group package deals at very special rates, just to fill up the vehicles. One such offer is 36 round trip Mexico City-Acapulco-Mexico City tickets, for the price of just 20, representing a 44% discount.

The terminal managers all blamed the drop in tourism on the way Acapulco is being portrayed in the press as an unsafe destination, and on the unusually rainy weather. A previous problem, security of the buses while in transit, has been resolved.

Around 10:00 am leaders of the protest were able to have a meeting with the director of public safety. The spokeswoman for the protestors, Lidia Cortés González, said, “All we want is for the city to respect normal working hours. This may mean that many of those with badges get up from their desks and help us out in the streets.” Others added that it is psychologically impossible for a policeman to function well for 24 hours straight. Other complaints were also raised in the meeting, such as the lack of life insurance and the lack of pension arrangements for many. They reminded the city that Mayor López Rosas (now state attorney general) had reduced the work day from 24 hours to 8 several years ago. He had noted that many officers had to take drugs or medications to be able to sustain the long work day.

Mayor Añorve Baños said the protest was illegal, and that instigators would be criminally punished. He added that 24 hour shifts are common throughout Mexico and that it is a federal government regulation. He said that he will arrange for the construction of dormitories, baths and a gym in the main police building for the officers, but the 24 hour shift will stay in place. He said, “These are not easy decisions, but we have to take them for the public safety. We are the only municipality in the State of Guerrero, and I think, in the whole country, that has an eight-hour work day.” The accuracy of that claim could not be confirmed.

After the failed negotiations, the protesting police continued to block Avenida Cuauhtémoc for several more hours. When the director of the traffic police tried to force open the blockade for one of his patrol cars, he was chased away with angry threats.

In interviews with press reporters, tourists commented that the reported violence did not discourage them from coming to Acapulco, “because there is violence like that everywhere.” One woman said, “I live in the Federal District, and I have to put up with the same thing everywhere.” She noted that there were fewer visitors in Acapulco this time, saying that perhaps it is due to “the bad information [circulated] at an international level.”

Another tourist from Chihuahua came with 12 family members, noting that they did not travel at night because of fear that something bad might happen. (Armed groups in the far north of Mexico have increased their criminal activities as modern day highwaymen on the main roads.) He said that although he felt safe and relaxed on the beaches, still he was afraid that violence could happen. For that reason, he and his family did not venture out on the streets at night. He added, “In reality, it is the same throughout all of Mexico.”

Gonzalo Juárez Ocampo, the union’s president, thinks that the goal is unrealistic, that the program is too vague, and that the initiative is not well organized. It might be noted casually that the program also contemplates using non-union personnel to impart the program, known as “Guerreros for Literacy.” When the governor announced the initiative on May 30, he mentioned the teachers’ union as one of the collaborators. The union, however, is “reserving judgment” until more details are available. Their initial judgment is that they prefer a different program, called “Yes I Can,” developed in Cuba, which some of the union leadership are trying to implement in the poorest mountain communities, where Spanish is barely spoken, and always as a second language.

The CETEG has a sharply adversarial attitude towards the State Department of Education, periodically blocking highways and street in Chilpancingo and Acapulco to demand more concessions. Many are outlandish by US standards, dealing with guaranteed (even inheritable) positions, a year-end bonus equal to 25% of annual salary, and increases in pension benefits. For its part, , the Department of Education has had its own issues, including the alleged plundering of its budget of millions of pesos during the previous administrations, mainly through ghost workers on the payroll and public contracts in which goods and services were paid for, but not delivered. Meanwhile, Guerrero lags behind all but two other states in the quality and level of public education.

The organizer of the event explained that the “Tuning” is an independent organization of hobbyists who invest heavily in “personalizing” their vehicles, especially the interiors.

The project depends upon support from the Guerrero state government, which also underwrites most of the cost of the Acapulco Philharmonic. According to Álvarez, Governor Aguirre is interested in, and committed to, the music conservatory project. Funding has not officially been made available. This will depend upon resources available to the state Secretary of Education, and ultimately, to a legislative authorization.

Funding, however, is not the most difficult task. “The hardest thing we have to do is obtain professors. Fortunately here we have 82 members of the Philharmonic … who are specialists and soloists and who can flesh out the faculty.” Other teachers, for example, of guitar and voice, would have to come from outside the state. Currently the administrators of the nascent institution are going through all of the procedures to be able to confer degrees, like other music conservatories, in the various instruments, voice, direction and composition.

Maestro Álvarez also founded the Margarito Damián Vargas School of Music in Chilpancingo, which advances young musicians of junior high and high school age, and is also supported with funds from the state government.

Yesterday, when Governor Aguirre made a visit to the first hot spot (in the Diamond Zone), together with Benito García Meléndez, the local representative of the Highway Department, he took the time to complain about the situation in the segment from Mozimba to Pie de la Cuesta, saying that it has generated more citizen complaints than any other project. For his part, García Meléndez informed that the cloverleaf at Puerto Marqués is about 74% complete and should be finshed by November 30, almost a year behind schedule and more than double the time originally estimated. And this is contingent on not having interruptions because of the weather or otherwise. In rainy season it is curious to set a date on the premise that it does not rain; however, the official may have been referring to the other stoppages, like those caused by the contractor’s disregard for environmental regulations and the two times workman cut into a major water distribution pipe.

The Highway Department official did not make any such estimates about the long overdue project between Mozimba and Pie de la Cuesta.
In a tour of the Puerto Marqués job site, they observed deep puddles, snarled traffic, and elderly beggars who were filling potholes with dirt in exchange for tips from the frustrated drivers.

Añorve added that Acapulco has bolstered its security with law enforcement personnel permanently assigned to the tourist zone, to guaranty to visitors that they can enjoy an extraordinary vacation, free of danger.

The technologies did not involve arms, explosives or munitions; rather, the successes of the Israeli private sector have been in predicting and protecting potential targets, organizing protective forces, creating command, communication and control centers, crisis management, protection of strategic infrastructures and electronic (computer) security and antifraud measures.

On the same day, in Mexico City, visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expressed his respect for the struggle undertaken by the Mexican government to combat organized crime and drug trafficking. He assured President Calderón that Germany would support Mexico in solving this problem. He said, “Mexico is struggling with the instruments of the Rule of Law, and we know that those instruments will win, and this we support that approach.” Support will arrive in the form of education and training of Mexican police officers, particularly in investigative techniques that find and preserve evidence that can be admitted in court. The German official added that the support offered by his country “is not only political, but also practical, and we are now talking about how to get even deeper into the matter.”

When asked why German private direct investment in Mexico had fallen, the foreign minister denied the premise, saying that it had increased. “Mexico is an important partner for Germany and the Group of 20,” he said, “because it is one of the strongest emerging economies, due to its accomplishments over the last 20 years.” He added that the relationship between Mexico and Germany is not just based on economics, but also on social and cultural matters of mutual interest.

The survey found that 1 out of every 2 persons in Acapulco has stopped going out at night because of the insecure situation in the streets. The study also showed that women are leaving their jewelry at home when they do go out.

Another finding is that 4 out of 5 crimes committed in the State of Guerrero go unreported. In 2010, it is estimated that 124,000 crimes were committed, and that 100,000 of them were never reported to police. Acapulco, which has 64% of the state’s population, accounted for 97% of the crimes committed in Guerrero in 2010.

Of the crimes reported to the police, one-third are never investigated. Many citizens believe that the police will do nothing anyway, or that they will demand money from the victims, or take bribes from the perpetrators, if found. A prevalent fear is the presence of firemen and policemen in the home, as they have the reputation among many residents of taking whatever they like. Of the citizens who registered criminal complaints, only 1.5% rated the treatment they received as “excellent” and 38% as “fair.” The rest were unsatisfied with the attention they received.

Concerning the causes of crime, about half agreed that the main reasons are poverty, drug use and unemployment. In a question aimed at the federal anti-crime program involving federal agents and the military, 76.1% said they agreed with the presence of the “federales” and the military to assist local law enforcement.

One percent of the households in the survey refused to answer any questions as a result of threats from local crime gangs.

Basic Data from the Census:

Guerrero population: 3,388,768 (3% of national population).
Guerrero’s rural population: 42%, in 7,154 rural locations.
Acapulco population: 789,971 (Chilpancingo: 241,717; Iguala 140,363).
Average Age: 23 (26 for Acapulco).
Genders: 94 men for every 100 women.
16.8% of the nation’s poorest counties are in Guerrero, including the number 1 poorest county, Cochoapa el Grande.
8.7% of Guerrero’s population live in conditions of extreme poverty and marginalization.

In 2010, the cruise ship season saw 138 arrivals. This year it will be 113. The “cruise ship” fiscal year begins on June 1, with the arrivals of Pullman Tour and Ocean Star, both national (not international) carriers. “The whole Mexican coast will be affected, as international lines are looking to newer, safer markets, like Australia. It began last year, but this year will be much worse,” the port director commented. He continued: “The violence problem has caused a significant drop in demand for cruise ship passage for all Mexican ports, not just Acapulco. They have cut frequencies in order to improve their occupancy, thus saving on fuel, personnel and port fees.” “These decisions are not permanent; they are temporary,” Mr. González affirmed.

She explained the planning method used by the contractors, which is called FODA by its initials in Spanish (for strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats). The strengths of the Nautical Zone are the gentle waves on the beaches and its emblematic old buildings, like the historical quarter of many other tourist destinations. The weaknesses include the disorganization of Caleta and Caletilla beaches, the poor condition of the buildings, and the reputation that Acapulco’s downtown is not safe for those who come off the cruise ships. She likened Acapulco more to Rio de Janeiro than to Miami, which has also struggled with violence in poor neighborhoods, and which has worked hard to revitalize its traditional tourist areas.

For its part, the contract company presented the outline of a short- medium- and long-term investment plan to develop “Nautical Acapulco” in a way consistent with intelligent urban planning, up-scale tourism and protection of the natural environment. Three workshops will be presented at various points along the progress of the contract, to permit ample interaction between city officials and planners and the analysts for the contractor. The contract is for $2 million pesos, paid for out of federal funds. The completed plan is due for delivery in December.

The planning project is considered to be urgent. This year, according to the local chamber of commerce, 70 businesses in the traditional zone and the golden zone have closed their doors. The good news is that some new businesses have braved the trend and are opening for the first time. The local chamber of commerce president, Javier Saldívar Rodríguez, said it was urgent to replace the closed businesses, as it creates a negative impression to have closed and boarded establishments in the tourist zones. He said the problem relates to a drop in tourism because of the continuing financial crisis, the lack of security and the lack of adequate promotional efforts. He added that the problem of violence (including extortion threats against local businesses) is one of national scope, and is just not concentrated in Acapulco. “Unfortunately,” he said, “Acapulco is the one destination that the people in Europe and North America can identify with Mexico, and the other places, which have the same sort of problem, escape notice in the press.”

The local representative of Profepa, Joel Tacuba García, is said to be meeting with the city’s Director of Public Roads this week to coordinate a plan concerning this high summer vacation season.

Flores Vinalay was aware, of course, that sidewalk congestion from unlicensed and unregulated vendors is far less of a bother than the swarms of them on the beach. He said that he has posted inspectors at the main entrance streets to the beach, to turn away vendors as they arrive. The vendors, naturally, know that they must now enter the beaches by the less known access points; however, once they are on the beach, they can walk up and down it, from Icacos to Caletilla, to their hearts’ content, as the City feels it has no jurisdiction over them.

Just as city inspectors try to close off vendors’ access to the beach, they seek to prevent jugglers and vendors from blocking streets at red lights and at areas of tourist activity like La Quebrada and La Condesa. From the visible effects of this activity, it appears that there are far more jugglers and vendors than there are inspectors.

The unlicensed and unregulated beach vendors range in age from around 5 years old to well over 80. They sell all manner of prepared food (like tamales, enchiladas and quesadillas), fresh seafood, fruit, nuts, snacks and ice cream. They sell shells, hammocks, sunglasses, henna tattoos, massages, readings of aura and horoscope, songs, junk jewelry, plastic buckets and life vests, hats, ceramics, sun tan oils – in short, just about anything that can be carried in a basket or on your back. Some are simply beggars. On busy weekends, the swarm of vendors keeps tourists from even having a simple conversation without being interrupted every 10 seconds to say “no thanks.”

Not all tourists are negative about the vendors. “It’s part of the show, part of the beach culture of Acapulco,” they say. And, obviously, the vendors find many customers on the beaches, or else they would not be there every day in such large numbers.

Regardless of the opinions of the beach clientele, the vendors seem to be a permanent fixture, in spite of the City’s ordinance prohibiting them. Last weekend, the ambulatory vendors were busy up and down the beach, as always, and “inspectors from local law enforcement” were not in evidence anywhere.

Concerning the decision of the Supreme Court that Acapulco’s case against the federal government would not go forward for lack of a justiciable constitutional claim, Aguirre noted, “They forgot that the Tianguis continues with its denomination of origin. It is called the “Tianguis Turístico of Acapulco.” How are they going to take it to Guadalajara or Mazatlán or Los Cabos? ‘Tianguis Turístico of Los Cabos’? For that reason I have made a determination that the Tianguis will not leave its home community. We will organize it right here,” he said, “with or without the cooperation of the federal government.”

The governor said that his first 100 days in office have been “very intense and hard-working.” He recognized that there is much to do within the state, but said it was pertinent to mention some achievements, like the commencement of the literacy campaign, the objective of which is to teach 50,000 people to read and write within Guerrero. He mentioned the support given to single mothers and the handicapped, as part of the program called “Guerrero Cumple” (Guerrero Keeps its Promises). When asked, he said that he plans no changes in his cabinet, and that everyone, including him, will need to intensify their efforts and work for the delivery on the commitments he made during the election campaign.

“In spite of the constant acts of violence,” he said, “I can reassure you that this government will not stop taking part in security operations. In this high summer season, this will include more joint actions with the Navy, Army and the Federal Police.”

The Port Authority did not cancel all small vessel navigation, but issued a strong precaution due to high winds and waves. Troops from the marine base at the VIII Naval Region in Acapulco made surveys of the situation in Acapulco, especially in the upland neighborhoods where mudslides and flooding are most common. Thunderstorms and strong winds accompanied the arrival of 3-E in Acapulco.

Ironically, in the midst of inundations, the Central Market had to function without water for five days, causing the consternation of merchants and risking health hazards. Capama, the water utility, was unable to determine the cause until Wednesday, when a broken three-inch pipe was located nearby. In the interim the utility delivered water to the fish market section by tanker truck.

Meanwhile, other areas of Acapulco that do not serve tourists will continue to be monitored by the consumer protection officials, especially as concerns seasonal items placed for sale at this time, when schools are in recess. Shortly the local office of Profeco will announce the results of its recent inspection operation in private schools, where they checked to see if the sale of uniforms and school supplies was conditioned on payment of registration fees or tuition.

Mayor Añorve, in a statement considered immoderate, even for a scrappy politician, speculated that the Federal Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara Manzo, had “an economic stake” when making the decision, favoring private business interests (in other tourist destinations) with whom she had worked and in which she had participated. He indicated that if the PRI wins the 2012 presidential elections, the Tianguis Turístico will be returned to its rightful owner.

Meanwhile, State Secretary of Tourism, Graciela Baéz, announced that Acapulco will put on its own “Tianguis Turístico,” designed to show what Acapulco has to offer in tourism, with a focus on “quality rather than quantity.” She said that the name “Tianguis Turístico de Acapulco” has been formally registered as a trade mark, which was the first step. The event will have a broad reach, seeking to appeal to international tourism as well as visitors from the larger population centers in Mexico.

In a press conference, Hernández Martínez personally named the ex-secretaries of the affected agencies and their chief administrators. The audit was conducted over two months, with the assistance of the Federal District office of Price-Waterhouse. The period audited covered 11 years, to March 31, 2011. Most of the defalcations were attributed to the six-year mandate of Governor Torreblanca Galindo, which ended on March 31 of this year.

In the Department of Education alone, $6,122,277,268 pesos were unaccounted for in general budget categories and another $1,964,550,377 in the payroll. In the Department of Health, the auditors found anomalies amounting to $2,062,340,397 in general budget categories. They also investigated the purchase of a helicopter used by the governor personally and a light aircraft, both with $45 million pesos from a health insurance fund.

The comptroller commented that the federal authorities will review the audit and perform further investigation, as they see fit, to determine whether legal sanctions should be imposed on any individuals who worked in the agencies during the term of Governor Torreblanca Galindo.

Ambassadors from the Philippines, Israel, Lebanon, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, South Africa, Poland, Saudi Arabia and others will be received in Acapulco and given tours of the area. This is in preparation for the Cultural Fair that will be hosted in Acapulco in August and September, with the participation of 64 countries.

The Governor asked, “Why are they coming to Acapulco? It is because we want to show them the beauty of the location, and that the reality is different from the stories circulating elsewhere, which often are planted by competing tourist destinations.” He added that one of the goals of his government is to restore Acapulco’s reputation to what it was during its best years, and he called on the tourist services industry to roll out the red carpet for its distinguished visitors.

With schools now out for summer vacation, Acapulco will receive thousands of families for summer holidays. All three levels of government are working to provide additional security for its visitors, with a new fleet of police cars and the presence of 8,366 police officers. The cooperation agreement was formally signed yesterday by the Governor and the Mayor of Acapulco, Manuel Añorve Baños.
The state department of tourism has indicated that Guerrero should expect 860,891 visitors this weekend in the so-called “Triangle of the Sun,” which includes Taxco, Acapulco and Zihuatanejo. This implies over 60% hotel occupancy and an economic inflow of over $3 billion pesos.

The director also stated that Guerrero has faced problems of families being displaced, school dropouts, and business closings, and for that reason the Army and Navy forces will remain in Guerrero, but the area should not be considered a “hot zone” for crime. The area of greatest concern in the state is Tierra Caliente, near the border with Michoacán, where the military are still engaged in peace-keeping efforts against criminal groups focused on the production of illegal crops.

Meanwhile, Cancun declined by less than 1 percent, aided by a 62 percent increase in passenger traffic from Guadalajara. Huatalco, in Oaxaca, another competing tourist destination, increased by 2 percent during the same period. The route between Mexico City and La Paz increased by 31 percent. In the federal government’s list of the 89 principal international routes into Mexico, neither Acapulco nor Zihuatanejo appear. Cancun is listed with 13 of them.

Cargo traffic has similarly been affected. Puerto Vallarta tops the top ten list in both international and domestic cargo flights, and Acapulco does not appear.

According to records at the Juan N. Álvarez International airport, in 2008 269,303 international passengers arrived; in 2009 the number dropped to 202,630; and in 2010 it fell further to 172,079.

State public safety director, Ramón Almonte Borja said that no lives were lost in the tropical storm, but serious flooding was reported in the neighborhoods of Alejo Peralta, La Poza, and nearby communities – working-class suburbs behind the Diamond Zone, near Coloso and Colosio. In La Poza, 100 persons went to the shelter set up for flood victims, and more than 200 homes were under water.

Flooding of homes was also reported in Renacimiento, Emiliano Zapata, La Esperanza and Las Cruces, just outside Acapulco’s geological amphitheater. The Sabana River bed, which flows from Las Cruces to the southeast, was already at its brink from previous rainfall, and overflowed. The authorities activated disaster contingency plans, including the preventive evacuation of many families in the area.
In the upper reaches of Costa Azul, in the Praderas neighborhood, a 130 ton rock threatened to break away from the steep slope above. Civil protection personnel had to shore it up with hundreds of sand bags.

Several mud slides occurred along the winding Escénica, the “scenic highway” that connects the inner bay of Acapulco to the bay of Puerto Marqués and the Diamond Zone. The worst was at the overpass at the Avenida Heroico Colegio Militar, the entrance to Loyola University, the Botanical Gardens, and communities above them.

Along the Bulevar de las Naciones, the main highway of the Diamond Zone, and in Colosio and Avenida Revolcadero (into Puerto Marqués), waters rose almost 20 inches above the ground level.

In all, more than 900 families were forced from their homes because of the sequence of two back-to-back periods of heavy rain.

When asked who was responsible for the defalcation of $5 million from his budget, he said “Everything points to the last letter of the alphabet,” in a not-so-veiled reference to the previous administration of the State of Guerrero.

Lührs commented that this Acapulcazo has shown the federal government, especially the federal secretary of tourism, Gloria Guevara, that Acapulco enjoys a strong base of support from over 1,000 travel professionals for the proposition that the Tianguis Turístico, Acapulco’s annual international trade fair, remain in Acapulco. She affirmed that the tourist destination that registers the greatest sales volume year round is Acapulco.

This week, a new company, Proyectos y Construcciones Marlú, started work on the project, now called “Phase III,” which, if successful, will connect the two extremes, Phase I and Phase II. The Costera has been closed from Avenida La Suiza to the corner with Gran Vía Tropical. The new investment is $15 million pesos, and the project is scheduled to be completed by October 15, weather permitting, just prior to the next high tourist season.

Even though the machinery has not arrived that will dig up the pavement, work began officially by placing cones and yellow tape along the portion of the main avenue where the excavation will take place. A banner has been erected, stating that the improvement will cost $15,296,309.57 pesos.

Federal congressman Alejandro Carabias Icaza formally called for an audit of the previous construction firm because they spent the budget, but executed less than half of the project in terms of value. The formal inauguration of Phase III was attended by city council members, state legislators and other dignitaries.

The reasons for water shortages are the same as ever, according to Manuel Santos Navarrete, the recently appointed director of the utility: problems in the water distribution and pumping system, lack of a network that reaches all residences, and water treatment facilities that can only operate at half capacity or less. The director said that CAPAMA’s 28 water trucks serve around 84,000 families per month in the 80 neighborhoods without any other water service.

When asked about the water problem, Acapulco mayor Manuel Añorve Baños, himself a former director of the water utility, explained that water shortages in the outlying suburbs were caused by an equipment failure in the El Cayaco water treatment plant, and that the problem has been corrected, and that service will be restored soon to several zones of the city.

Residents of Garita, on the upslope above the Maxi-tunnel have been without water service for anywhere from 17 days to a month. They have taken to the streets in protest. Last Monday, they blocked the highway between Acapulco and Mexico City for several hours. The city sent a large number of police and military to the place of the blockade. The mayor said they were there for “security reasons.” The demonstrators said it was to intimidate them.

When asked about the vehicle that was dragged by Hurricane Beatriz from the Costera to the beach known as El Morro, the director of the agency, Rogelio Hernandez Cruz, answered that this week, if the currents are calm enough, the car will be removed. It is a VW bus. His agency has already removed two sand-covered vehicles that met the same fate, but the third wound up in strong currents around the rocks just off the beach. The director pointed out that removal of wreckage is not a normal part of this agency’s mission, but they have undertaken to do it because the three vehicles represented a safety hazard.

Environmentalist Leonel Lozano Domínguez affirmed that “the furtive extraction of marine species is an open secret. They indiscriminately take all sorts of species, using the prohibited type of net that ensnares and drowns sea reptiles and mammals. There is no program to counteract all these attacks, which go against the conservation of the area.” Another pointed to the fact that for less than $10 the federal government will issue a fishing license, and the fishing cooperatives then go out with illegal nets, overfishing the area and killing whales, dolphins and tortoises, especially in the Boca Chica channel, which separates the island from the mainland.

The disappearance of brightly colored fish has damaged the livelihood of the more than 300 operators of glass bottom boats and the Scuba diving schools. The island is considered a nursery for the species found in the bay, and the ransacking of the breeding and hatching grounds has led to a scarcity of both ornate marine species as well as food fish.

Meanwhile, on the island, the termites are gradually killing all the trees. The cry of birds from the treetops, once immediately audible and noticeable, has all but disappeared. The nests are empty, and termite mounds the size of large piñatas are everywhere among the branches. The signs along the pathways on the island have been destroyed or stolen. Graffiti mars rocks and trees everywhere. The only fresh water spring on the island now runs heavily polluted, causing more species to disappear. The neglect may be the result of a complicated overlay of federal jurisdiction for the island. The Navy is responsible for security and law enforcement, but the environmental authorities are supposed to care for the nature preserve. La Roqueta seems to be a fly ball that falls between two outfielders. A joint committee for the preservation of La Roqueta, made up of fishing cooperatives and restaurant-concessionaires, together with tourism officials, the port authority, the Navy and the environmental agencies, has not met in ten years.

More than 100 promotional stands, representing Acapulco tourism businesses and transportation companies, were opened to greet visitors to the trade show, including the general public. The city government was able to provide 24 stands to members of the tourism sector who were otherwise unable to acquire space in the event, so that they could participate in the marketing effort.

The ribbon cutting ceremony also included the State Secretary of Tourism Promotion, Graciela Báez and the Federal District’s Tourism Secretary, Alejandro Rojas Díaz Durán, who has been supportive of Acapulco’s efforts to bring the controversial Tianguis Turístico back to its home city. More than 20,000 persons are expected to attend the weekend-long event.

In expressing his support of the Tianguis Turístico, and speaking on behalf of the Governor of the Federal District, Alejandro Rojas Díaz Durán said that taking the event away is like taking the heart out of Acapulco. “We all know that Acapulco is the heart of tourism in this country… They are mistaken those who say that to take away an event of this kind will not have any [negative] effect.”
Accompanying Acapulco’s mayor in the event were representatives from Barra Vieja, Puerto Marqués, Bonfil, Pie de la Cuesta, Caleta & Caletilla, Laguna de Coyuca, Laguna de Tres Palos and La Quebrada. Servicios Náuticos, Deportes Acuáticos and the San Diego Fort were also present.

Repairmen from CAPAMA were dispatched to repair the pumping station and to patch the roadway as quickly as possible. As of 1:00 pm yesterday, traffic was moving slowly in both directions, but only in one lane in each direction. Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños told the press that repairs would take about two days, working around the clock. He also said that experts were studying the remainder of the Costera to detect where similar repairs might be called for, on a preventive basis.

He added that Acapulco also occupies first place in the nation for the number of persons who are stealing energy. Such people just connect wires to the grid without the formality of a meter or an account with the utility. They are referred to as “colgadores” (hangers), and in some of the poor, outlying neighborhoods, the percentage of illegal users is as high as 90% of all homes. According to Gonzáles Bornios, the theft of energy in Acapulco costs the utility more than $1 billion pesos (around US$ 90 million) annually, which translates into 800 million kilowatt hours per year.

Some of the deadbeat customers have bills going back as far as 10 years, according to the CFE representative. “If we plan to cut off service to everyone who owes us money, it is over 60,000 customers, including hotels, restaurants and apartment buildings.” Research by Novedades Acapulco revealed that a substantial portion of the debt comes from municipal governments, mainly south and east of Acapulco, who use electricity for public illumination. Many of the accounts are disputed, as the electric rates for Guerrero are among the highest in the country. When asked, the CFE representative, discounted this as the main problem. All agree that if the La Parota dam project were built, electric rates in Acapulco would drop to national levels or even below.

To combat theft of energy, the CFE is installing robust security around the low tension wires of the grid, with 220,000 new digital meters in the higher parts of the infrastructure. This “intelligent network” will detect theft and automatically cut service selectively, by remote control. “Within two years,” said the CFE representative, “it will be practically impossible to rob energy.”

The net result of the visit of Hurricane Beatriz to the Pacific waters off Acapulco was four deaths, two injured and 150 houses severely damaged. Countless homes and businesses were inundated with as much as three feet of water. Not only low-lying properties were affected; houses on the higher slopes also suffered damage from mud, rocks and heavy rainfall.

On Tuesday morning at 9:07, according the state public safety director, three persons fell into a septic pit near their home on the outskirts of Acapulco. The concrete cover had broken into pieces, and the mother of the family fell into 7 feet of water. Her husband and teenage son jumped in to save her, but all three perished. On Monday, a 16-year-old boy fell into an arroyo, which is usually dry in the winter. On Monday, however, it was swollen by rainfall and running in a torrent towards the sea. The boy was swept away in the current and drowned. Two others were severely injured, but did not drown: one was hospitalized after a tree toppled over on him in Puerto Marqués, and the other suffered injuries from being in his car when it was swept off the Costera Alemán and dragged back towards the bay by the fierce undertow. Fallen trees in the outlying suburbs of Acapulco caused much of the property damage, while many streets and boulevards became lakes of running water. Seventeen rockslides and mudslides were reported, mainly in the poorer, upland neighborhoods. Portions of the Escénica (Scenic Highway) and other roads leading out of town were damaged by the large pools of water that overflowed and overwhelmed the drainage infrastructure. Several vehicles were dragged off the Costera in the Golden Zone by waves that took them back towards the sea.

The neighborhoods most heavily affected were on the side of Acapulco known as the Diamond Zone: Puerto Marqués, Llano Largo (a popular inland neighborhood), and Alejo Peralta (part of Coloso). The housing development in Colosio also reported severe flooding.

Governor Ángel Aguirre surveyed the damage, and reported that Acapulco was really the hardest hit of all places in Guerrero. No deaths or injuries were reported in the other municipalities of the state, and property damage was relatively light.

Merchants along the corridor of Avenida Cuauhtémoc from the Maxitunnel to Parque Papagayo suffered heavy flooding due to the “Bicentennial Overpass,” hurriedly constructed last year. The elevated roadway diverted rainwater over the sidewalks and into businesses on the downhill side, while water backed up into businesses on the uphill side. The waters had nowhere else to go once they were dammed by the foundations of the roadway itself. Many loudly protested that the mayor had rushed the construction of the overpass last year in order to boost his bid for the governorship, at the expense of performing proper design engineering. City Hall has denied the allegation, pointing out that the current construction is really temporary. It was but phase one of a multi-stage project. Construction on phase two has not yet begun, and cynics doubt that much will happen until the next political campaign.

Approximately 60% of the classes in elementary and secondary schools were suspended because of the rains, as many children found it impossible to leave their homes and neighborhoods. Most of the areas affected were in the poorer suburbs, where drainage is chronically deficient.

On a positive note, officials from the water authorities in Acapulco and Chilpancingo (Capama and Capach) pointed out that the water tables were finally being replenished after a long dry season, and that this bodes well for having adequate potable water in the coming months.

Fishermen took their boats from the harbor, expecting much larger waves and swells than usual, up to 6 meters. The vessels fare much better off shore in such conditions than if they remain moored at the piers.

At 3:54:47 local time, the city was shaken by a tremor that lasted six seconds, startling tourists and locals alike. The magnitude of the quake was 4.7, less than shakes that had occurred earlier in the year; however, the epicenter was just 71 km to the northeast of Acapulco, at a depth of 42.2 km, making the seismic impact seem much stronger. Later that evening the townspeople felt a fairly short and mild aftershock. Such tremors are common events throughout the Southern Sierra Madres. Damage to property and injuries to persons are rare. No damage was reported as a result of this tremor, but it stood as a reminder that Mexico’s Pacific Coast, like the coast of California, is near a tectonic fault line that causes the earth to shudder from time to time.

With the passage of Beatriz and the calming of the foundations of the earth, life returned to its sunny “normal” in the port city.

Díaz Durán opined that it is a good idea to have an “itinerant” tourism fair, but only if it adds to the level of tourism promotion of Mexico, rather than risk diminishing it. He recalled that the Tianguis Turístico in Acapulco was, “for 36 years the only international tourism promotion event in Mexico, and it contributed, in good measure, to the development of the tourism sector nationally and promoted Mexico and its various destinations both within the country and world-wide. The majority of its annual editions were very successful.”

The 23 “considerations” of the Federal District’s Secretary of Tourism were sent to the Supreme Court in support of a rapid but thoughtful resolution of the legal dispute between Acapulco and the federal government for ownership of the event. “Mexico indeed needs more than one fair on international tourism to compete, whether it be in Acapulco, or “itinerant,” or both. It is not a question of one or the other. . . . Mexico urgently needs more investment in promotion, public relations and many more tourism events for all the country’s destinations. He noted that the government’s RFP for bids on the Tianguis required more infrastructure and services than many worthy destinations could offer. For that reason, several events, some of them with specific themes (like scuba diving, archeology or folk art) need to be planned.

The net result of the document is that Acapulco should continue with its traditional tourism fair (the “Tianguis Turístico” by name), and that five other events be programmed for other parts of the country, some of them directed at a specific market segment. These events could and should rotate, to give all destinations a chance to participate.

“Instead of receiving only 23 million international tourists per year, we should be receiving 30 million or more,” he said. He added that part of the problem is the high cost of air travel to Mexico, which is either the result of monopoly pricing or shortsighted government regulation, or both.

The study notes that during the first quarter of 2011, tourists spent almost 10 percent less than in the same period in 2010. This represents a decline of $350 million in direct expenditures in just one quarter. (The first quarter is considered to be “high season” for international tourism.) The year 2008 was a banner year, before the country was slammed by the international financial crisis, the flu epidemic and the image of gang violence. In that year $13.3 billion dollars were spent directly by international tourists in Mexico.
The study by the chamber’s Public Finance Research Center attributes the decline to the “economic and social phenomenon that tourism is vulnerable to a perception of insecurity, whether for reasons of health or personal safety.” The balance of payments situation is further complicated by the fact that more and more Mexican nationals are choosing to vacation abroad instead of staying in Mexican resorts, presumably for the same reasons.

Tourism along the border with the United States was most heavily affected, dropping by almost half a million dollars for the first quarter of the year. Tourists who are day visitors to Mexico (known as “excursionists”) dropped off by the greatest percentage, mainly in Tijuana and Ciudad Júarez. Other factors, like the long lines to cross the border, also had an impact on this market segment.

The mayor would not say whether any information had inappropriately been leaked to any crime groups, but did affirm that city law enforcement always works in close coordination with the military, and this is just one example of that relationship. He said that the Navy did indeed want to participate in the supervision of the cameras, and he interposed no objection.

Añorve declared, “I will not permit that there exist even the possibility that someone is involved [in this], and with legal arguments and proofs we shall apply all of the weight of the law.” He added, “By putting the city’s director of public safety together with the Navy’s people, we are assured of having greater transparency, and with both city police and Navy personnel monitoring the cameras, we will avoid any suspicion.” He added that if there is evidence of corruption, it needs to be presented formally so that appropriate action can be taken.

When asked directly about the leaks to crime groups, the mayor replied, “Unfortunately there is no police force that is totally free of this problem. I cannot deny that there are members of the force who are tempted to get involved such complicated issues, but they know that this will create big problems for themselves sooner or later. But also, there are many good policemen, some of which have given their lives in the battle against delinquency. “Things cannot change overnight, but we have made much progress in cleaning out the police force, as well as in training, in their code of conduct, and in the drug testing – all in accordance with federal guidelines, which we are bound to follow. I understand that it is a job that we must do every day.”

In a question session the Admiral was asked why the Navy is also taking over beach patrols in the Diamond Zone. He said that the coastline is within the jurisdiction of the Army and Navy, and that most drug distribution in that area is accomplished by people on ATV’s, going up and down the beaches. The admiral said that the initiative against organized crime was to constrain and contain the competing groups, each day reducing the areas in which they can operate. “We are winning that struggle,” he said.

“Acapulco is not considered a danger zone. Acapulco is a struggle among conflicting gangs. It is not a fight that involves the common citizen or in which there is a risk that the people who come here to visit might wind up being attacked,” declared Almonte Borja.

Commissioner Ramiro Solorio Almazán (an independent) condemned the fact that traffic police riding in three compact cars, without uniforms, practically “assaulted the citizenry” at any hour of the day. “There’s no willingness to prevent crime,” he said, noting that auto thefts have risen from 3 per day to over 18. “It makes no difference if we have 50 cameras and 114 patrol cars of the city police and 80 more of the transit police. It make no difference if we have more than 300 radios and 2,000 weapons, if there’s no will to stop crime.” The councilman added, “It is true that we are afraid, all of us, but the police forces must accept more responsibility.”

Joining the criticism was PRD Councilwoman María del Rosario Martínez Mandujano, who noted that citizens in the housing projects have complained that when they report assaults and robberies, they are ignored by the authorities.

The head of public safety, Héctor Paulino Vargas López, replied, “I have noted all your complaints. The police are working, and they will continue to do so.”

Ramiro Solorio Almazán noted that the Council was meeting in the Convention Center as a symbolic gesture to show that the forum is an important part of Acapulco, and to send the message that “we are meeting in an asset that belongs to all Acapulqueños, and that we are not going to permit the Navy to build another military installation here.” He was referring to the fact that earlier this year it was revealed that the Convention Center belonged to the Federal Government, which was a surprise to almost everyone, and that the Navy was planning to install facilities there in the coming year.

Before the ship weighed anchor, Acapulco Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños made a tour of the ship with the president of Ocean Star Cruises in Mexico, Henry Yaniz, visiting the newly refurbished dining areas, the piano bar, the theater, the shops and the swimming pools.

The machine room fire occurred on April 14, when the vessel was departing Huatalco, Oaxaca.

In June, the Ocean Star will make two trips weekely: from Sunday to Thursday and from Thursday to Sunday, visiting Huatulco to the South and Zihuatanejo and Manzanillo to the north. The vessel’s home port is Acapulco. The local booking agent for the Ocean Star, Turismo Caleta, has opened branch offices in La Isla (Diamond Zone) and in Costa Azul to meet the demand for passage.

The Secretary expressed surprise at the letter sent last Sunday to the Supreme Court by the Tourism Secretary of Mexico City, proposing two events: one for Acapulco, as usual, and another in some other destination in Mexico. Previously the Tourism Department of Mexico City had supported the idea that the Tianguis Turístico should be itinerant and no longer anchored in Acapulco. The problem the federal authorities now face is that other countries are beginning to compete for the same window of opportunity, and it is possible that Mexico will lose its traditional position among tourism fairs in the world.

According to Octavio González, director of the Port Authority, the facilities can handle up to 35 auto carriers at once, and twice that number showed up in Acapulco between 9:00 pm and midnight Sunday. The long line of auto trucks, and the several police escorts assigned to them to prevent thefts by organized crime, clogged the main throughway well into the afternoon on Monday, snarling traffic and slowing communication throughout the Traditional Zone of the port city. The port director said that the ship has been taking on autos for nearly two week, and that a total of 390 auto carriers was expected, bringing the ship to its capacity of 3,800 vehicles. Apparently the arrival on Sunday night of double the usual number of trailers came about because the ship was scheduled to leave on Monday.

The drivers of the auto carriers complained that the traffic police charged them $100 pesos to be able to park on the Costera, which they all paid at the risk of having their license plates confiscated, and then the next shift charged them all another $100 each. One of them was quoted as saying, “We know about this already. It’s not just today. It’s every time we come to Acapulco the transit police ask for money, and we always have to give it to them to show support for the local police.”

The governor said that he has sat down at tables to work and negotiate with the teachers’ union four times, and the leadership is uncompromising, unyielding, and militant. As a condition of considering their demands, he wants the teachers to participate in his literacy campaign. “They have assured me that they will,” he said. Nevertheless, the governor said that he cannot responsibly accept economic demands when there are no resources in the state budget to meet them.

The CNT statement said that the most logical outcome would be to leave the Tiaguis Turístico in Acapulco, to continue however Acapulco deems appropriate, and to inaugurate a new, itinerant fair, to take place in other parts of Mexico more favored by federal tourism secretary Gloria Guevara. Mr. Torruco added, “If we keep working over this legal material, we are going to have to postpone the country’s most important tourist fair.”

According to Romeo Galán Alderete, considered to be the “dean” of auto insurance agents in Acapulco, the increase in premiums is the direct result of the greater risk of theft and car-jacking. As for bullet holes in the auto glass and body, he said that he knows of no policy that covers such damage, so any increase in losses would not be reflected in the premiums. According to Mr. Galán, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen and Ibiza are the makes most targeted by auto thieves.

Another loss that is covered under the policies is damage from road hazards, which in Acapulco is very common, given the lamentable condition of many streets. Mr. Galán said that many policy holders are unaware that they are covered when the car breaks a tire, rim or axle in a pothole, whether or not the city has made any effort to repair it.

One executive said that the trend really began as early as 1994, and only now is beginning to claim its victims. “Villa Vera was the first,” he said. Association President Saldívar agreed. He said, “The situation has become critical, but it is nothing sudden. The problem of unpaid bills has been with us for a very long time.” Then he showed a little optimism: “There is some investment in the traditional zone, though. I feel it is the time for the authorities to create a trust to help rehabilitate and rebuild these great and historical centers of hospitality. Today many hotels are closed or for sale.”

The condo-hotel phenomenon is especially worrisome to the members of the hotel association. It represents the change from a tourist economy to a beachside bedroom community economy, in which there may be 100,000 living units, but only 5% of them occupied at any time, and by people who do not come to Acapulco for tourism.

Rodrigo Ramírez Justo, general secretary of a local labor union for hotel workers, revealed that the closure of the Villa Vera was essentially caused by cancellations of reservations from the United States, as would-be vacationers were frightened away from Acapulco by the news reports of violence and the State Department travel advisory. “The market for the hotel was 100% American,” he said.

The union leaders insisted on meeting with the governor, and when no response was forthcoming, they sent their marchers, over 2,000 of them, to block off all lanes on the toll road connecting Mexico City and Acapulco, keeping traffic at bay in both directions for over three hours. They also poured into downtown Chilpancingo, essentially bringing business in the capital city to a halt.

Eventually, a meeting was established between the union leaders and the governor’s political affairs undersecretary, Victor Aguirre (no relation), and the state education secretary, Silvia Romero, but the government made no concessions, and the marchers continued their demonstrations.

Teachers march several times a year, holding up traffic in Acapulco, Chilpancingo and along the public highways. Students lose many school days each year because of the union activities, and the general public is always grossly inconvenienced by their tactics. Gradually the public has distanced itself from the union, which seems to be constantly asking for more pay and less work. One newspaper reports that parents are close to revolt: their children receive less and less instruction – often from unqualified persons. These role models for their children are seen screaming and shouting in the streets, obstructing traffic and clamoring for more and more pay for less and less work. Rarely if ever does the interest of the student or the quality of education enter the discussion. The teachers’ union may think it is just starting another round of pugilism with a new state government, but it needs to see if there is any more public support for its goals or its tactics.

On Friday, Justice Olga Sánchez Cordero formally accepted the matter, and ordered the temporary suspension of any and all activities related to the Tianguis Turístico, pending a more thorough investigation and the opportunity to hear from the parties. According to the experts, the provisional order is routine, designed to protect the jurisdiction of the court and the status quo ante. Within a month’s time the tribunal is expected to make the protective order permanent, pending a final outcome on all the issues, or to dissolve it, even while the case goes forward. The interim decision will be based partly on the likelihood of injury or irreparable harm if the federal government is allowed to proceed and the likelihood that Acapulco will ultimately prevail, requiring the cancellation of activities taken in the meantime.

Acapulco’s mayor, Manuel Añorve Baños, made a press statement on Saturday, clarifying the nature of the claim: The presidential decree was implemented in 1975 by Miguel Alemán Velazco, then president of the Executive Committee for Tourism, which is the Tourism Department today. “By presuming to derogate a presidential decree by a mere request for bids, Secretary Gloria Guevara violated articles 5, 14, 16, 39, 40, 41, 115, 116 and 123 of the Mexican Constitution,” he said. The Supreme Court’s temporary suspension of the federal government’s activities to rob Acapulco of the Tianguis was greeted with much satisfaction by the mayor and local business people, who commented, “The Court has returned dignity to Acapulco.”

Raintree Vacation Club made the announcement via the Internet, informing its members that the Villa Vera will be closed. The reasons given were unsurprising: the lack of security, the vast drop in demand for reservations, and the high operating costs of the famous hotel essentially broke the bank. The closure was not characterized as either “permanent” or “temporary,” but rather, “indefinite.”

The hotel and club at Villa Vera were famous during the 1950’s as a rest spot for the jet set. Elizabeth Taylor honeymooned there with Michael Todd. Frank Sinatra and Brigitte Bardot were also famous guests of the Villa Vera. The hotel has been the forum for media events of national reach, like the spectaculars in honor of Lucía Méndez and Isela Vega, two Mexican luminaries whose names were once household words throughout the country.

The Raintree Vacation Club has tried to put the best possible face on the decision to close the hotel, saying that it is to improve the club and its services to all its members. The sad truth is that this Acapulco destination just could not survive the double blow of narcotics lawlessness and a sluggish economy.

The body was decapitated and missing certain body parts, including the ears. The murder most likely took place 30 miles north of Acapulco, in the Costa Grande, where drug gang violence has been intense in the last weeks. The ears were later located in Coyuca, about an hour’s ride to the north.

Newspapers have recently agreed to stop publishing the content of narco-messages, mindful that the purpose of the violent acts is to obtain free publicity and notoriety for the perpetrators. The gangs have also taken to abandoning victims in automobiles in highly-trafficked areas of Acapulco, also as a means of obtaining publicity for themselves.

Yahoo News reported the incident, mentioning that the body was found in a “tourist area,” which is accurate, and that the message threatened the governor of the state, Ángel Aguirre, which was not. The item failed to report that the crime had almost certainly been committed in a small coastal town 30 miles or so away from the dump site. The item made no mention of drug gang rivalries or narcotics trade.

The divers who discovered the slaughter sites for sea turtles and dolphins reported the matter to PROFEPA, the special attorney general for enforcement of environmental laws. For his part, the Guerrero representative of PROFEPA, Joel Tacuba, declared that it was all a lie and denied the existence of the slaughter. Persistent, the divers who discovered the turtle graveyard persuaded divers from the Navy to visit the location with them, as a result of the formal complaint they filed to PROFEPA on May 13. The navy divers located the grave site and took videos, confirming the allegations of the citizens. One of the divers added that he has made several complaints to PROFEPA over the years concerning crimes against the environment around Acapulco, and has yet to receive an answer from them on any matter.

The coming weekend also looks positive, as many are expected to arrive who won recognitions from their employers, which included a weekend in Acapulco at the end of May. This special promotion was an initiative of the local hotel association. Hoteliers are seeking to increase Acapulco’s convention and congress business, which bring positive benefits and counteract the feast-or-famine cycles associated with high and low seasons.

Policemen at city, state and federal levels are routinely subjected to some form of drug testing, but, according to press reports, the system is subject to manipulation and corruption. Often a positive test does not result in any sanctions, especially at the municipal levels. The governor wants to enforce the program strictly for police at the state level, and to extend the policy to other public servants; however, the breadth of the testing program and the timeframe have not yet been specified.

Calderón also took advantage of the opportunity to report that “Washington D.C. has a higher crime rate than most Mexican cities, where, by the way, more than one million US citizens have made their home.” He admitted that Mexico has a serious problem of perception related to the violence gripping several cities. He concluded by reporting that of the 47 organized crime figures on Mexico’s most wanted list, 20 have been captured.

The course will be a two-day workshop on human rights emphasizing the principle that you cannot combat illegality with illegality; that is, the end, however noble, cannot justify every means employed to achieve it.

The municipal department of family services, headed by Julieta Fernández, the mayor’s wife, will be presenting several activities and programs directed at the prevention of addiction, which is the prelude to most crime. In the mayor’s opinion, preventing addiction is the most effective long-run method of combating organized drug gangs. The idea is to treat addiction as an illness, to be treated so as to reincorporate the addict into the larger society. “We cannot fight violence with more violence,” the mayor said.

For his part, state Attorney General Alberto López Rosas has disclosed that the investigative file returned from the federal Attorney General´s office is incomplete. He alleges that evidence was most likely destroyed before the matter was forwarded to the federal authorities last June. Supporters of former governor Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo strongly object to the implication that the murder of Chavarría was a political hit engineered by persons in power at the time, and that the matter has been covered up by destruction of files. They accuse the current attorney general, a long-time adversary of the Zeferino administration, of being on a political witch hunt. Unlike the Watergate scandal, in which presidential tape recordings brought down the Nixon administration, it is unlikely that any such “smoking gun” will be located to incriminate the perpetrators.

The federal authorities denied that the case had been “99% resolved,” as Governor Torreblanca had announced before leaving office. They added that there had been an unauthorized tinkering with the investigation records, so that there are very few leads left on which to continue an investigation. Apparently the detailed breakdown of individual items of evidence has disappeared altogether, along with much of the supporting documentation.

A separate program of “digital classes” is being inaugurated in the public primary schools. The computers and Internet connections were donated by Telmex, and are outfitted by special educational software developed jointly by Telmex and MIT. The program includes training for students, teachers and parents.

Ms. Báez offered to put together a marketing plan, focused on specific niches, and dovetailed into the marketing plan already in place for the upcoming “Jornadas Alarconianas” for the end of June. This is one of Mexico´s preeminent great summer literary and artistic festivals, named after Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, the famous dramatist of the 17th century, who hailed from Taxco. The head of the State SEFOTUR said that an idea would be to “improve the design of the event and to work on promotion and media coverage.” She said that “the twin ideas of culture and tourism are the key to enliven the main Guerrero destinations, through a joint, inter-institutional approach.” The fact that the event begins in barely a month did not seem to daunt her enthusiasm about redesigning the event and its promotion.

“What makes Taxco authentic,” she said, “is its own culture. We need to strengthen the events that take place in Taxco. My job is to promote, to design the campaign and invest resources for strengthening the [Jornadas].” She added the usual call for improved services, infrastructure and prices to guarantee return visits from those who come. To upgrade the services offered, Ms. Báez said that she was interested in “training programs and other means of improving the experience.” But the most important aspect for her is a marketing campaign in all available media to create a unified and consistent image for Taxco. She said, “In that way, resources are used most efficiently and the impact is the greatest.”

Besides the Jornadas Alarconianas, Ms. Báez suggested the same approach for the Silver Festival, the International Guitar Festival, Día de Jumil (the Monday following Nov 2, the Day of the Dead), and others. She said, “Taxco” is a trademark with a national and international acceptance. He advice was to re-engineer the promotion of the “Taxco” mark. She gave few details or examples, but did use the modern language of marketing throughout.

The governor did not elaborate about what consequences, if any, would flow from an employee’s refusal to take the drug test, or in the event that a person flunked it.

The port city is divided into 25 subzones for emergency response. Several of these subareas are considered to be risky because of flood dangers, rockslides and washouts. The mayor reported that 14,000 persons live in 2,174 dwellings in such areas of very high risk. The City has identified evacuation routes in those areas and has set up 107 temporary shelters, heliports and service support centers with medical assistance.

Weather forecasts for rainy season include 6 hurricanes in category 1 or 2, 3 in category 3, and 5 tropical storms. The city is watching 22 beds of rivers and streams, which clog up with garbage and refuse during dry season (due to the low culture and lack of concern of the local residents), and then overflow and flood the neighborhoods that caused the problem. An additional 35 flood sites have been identified, mainly street crossings where storm drains cannot handle the heavy runoff.

Representatives of the Army and Navy were present at the meeting, to help coordinate emergency response procedures.

Five tremor epicenters have occurred within the municipality of Acapulco since May 1, all of them between 3 and 4 on the Richter scale. The tremors felt in Guerrero in the first two weeks of May is double the number registered for the same period last year.

Novedades confirmed that most buses show at least one dent, often repainted with common house paint. Others show scars from many crashes. More than half have polarized glass windows, which is against the law, and most circulate without license plates on front and back. Gloria Zepeda, a tourist from the Federal District, told reporters that she had not noticed the buses, as she just stays at her places of interest; nevertheless, she said, paying more attention to it, the bad image is obvious. “They are not so ugly; to tell the truth they could be worse, but they’re not getting any cleaner. The engines seem to work all right, but there are always dents and scratches that look bad, you have to admit.”

Rodrigo Palma, also from the Federal District, added that the biggest nuisance is the deafening noise they play over the loud speakers. “You can’t even talk with your family when on the buses,” he said. Another pointed his finger at the bus owners. “They have the responsibility, and they are the problem. They need to outfit the insides to give us users a better service,” he added. A fourth tourist interviewed complained about the poor condition of the seats and the age of the converted school buses. Francisca Hernández, another tourist, told Novedades that “the buses serving the tourists are all old; they do not present a modern image of this port, but rather the complete opposite. They are more appropriate for rural transportation. The only thing missing is the turkey.”

Another tourist from Mexico City added, “It is a shame that this city, which has the most well-known and pleasant tourist attractions forces visitors to use buses in such bad shape.” Others complained of the discourteous drivers, who race with each other down the Costera, frightening their passengers. One said, “I got to see an older lady, who carried a child in her arms, get off the bus, but the driver did not take her to the curb, and she was almost run over by a motorcycle, who could brake just in time. It seems like the drivers around here are irresponsible and cause many accidents.”

Several of those interviewed pointed their finger at local government, which seems completely indifferent to the level of service provided to tourists. “If they have no concern for tourist comfort and safety, what does that say about other responsibilities of government, like our health and security?” In fact, the local transport system is mired in political complexities. Transport police have complained that they cannot enforce the law, as the bus owners are politically well-connected and have thwarted efforts at law enforcement. Other cities, like Monterrey and Veracruz are able to provide modern bus transportation to its citizens and visitors, but in Acapulco, the conclusion is inescapable that the buses are the way they are because the government is forced to tolerate the situation.

The idea of making the Tianguis, or annual Tourism Fair, an itinerant event was conceived by Gloria Guevara last January. Most tourism professionals point to the difficulty in making annual fairs itinerant when seeking international participation. All the prestigious events in the world are fixed in their locations, as was Acapulco’s for 36 years. Critics warn that the decision is ill-conceived, and will just move Mexico a few more notches down in the international prestige ladder for tourism professionals.

The 2010 census shows that 11% of the population of Guerrero, or 374,000, are illiterate. Illiterate women outnumber the men 2 to 1. The figures for Acapulco show almost 44,500 illiterate persons over age 15. Another 58,500 over age 15 have not finished primary school.

As a result of the exchange of weapon fire, one person was killed, evidently an innocent bystander. He was the driver of a yellow “colectivo” taxi. The car crashed into another colectivo, destroying the trunk, and then into a second taxi that was painted with “No Taxi,” and finally a semi-trailer. The gunmen´s vehicles were found abandoned, one in Progreso and the other in the median of Cuauhtémoc, near the municipal building. Both had been reported stolen.

The official statement from the Municipal Government expresses condolences to the family of the victim of the incident and regret about the violence of criminal gangs. It says the motives of the criminals are unknown, as well as their identities, but surmises that the firefight was a territorial conflict between two criminal groups, one behind the chief, and the other in front, and that he had evidently just been caught in the cross-fire. Whenever local police are the subject of mob “hits,” it always raises a suspicion about their independence from organized crime, something the City was careful to avoid in the case of the Chief of the Transit Police.

About three hours earlier, two federal police were murdered by armed gunmen outside of Acapulco proper, in the road between Coloso and Llano Largo, an area notorious for mob violence. In the yet more remote area of Xaltianguis, an employee of the federal electrical utility (CFE), his wife and his 12-year-old daughter were all murdered by automatic weapons fire in an attack from a hit squad. Another victim of organized crime was killed at his home in Tecpan de Galeana, in the Costa Grande, also with multiple impacts of heavy caliber weapons, and others fell victim to organized crime violence near Coyuca and at other points on the road towards Zihuatanejo. In all, the death toll in Guerrero was 14 persons, two of them women and one 12-year-old child. Eight of the murders took place outside Acapulco, either in the area to the east and south, or west and north of town in the Costa Grande, where turf battles between rival criminal groups have been unusually bloody in the last month.

Ms. Báez is not from Guerrero, nor is she from the tourism industry. She was recommended to the Governor by Marcel Ebrard Casaubon, governor of the Federal District and a probable PRD presidential candidate. As is often the case, such political appointments are shunted off to the tourism sector, where it is thought that well-connected amateurs can do little harm. She had spent a couple of years as the boss of a special private-public fund for promotion of tourism to the Federal District, but her functions were more political-diplomatic than technical. Indisputably, Ms. Báez is a capable administrator and a rising star in PRD party politics, but the fact that she is a stranger to Guerrero and not a tourism professional has made her a target for those who must make their living with tourism in Acapulco. Her vacillation about supporting one side or the other in the fight between Gloria Guevara (the federal tourism secretary) and Acapulco has given the private sector ammunition to demand that she be fired. The battle over the Tianguis has become bitter and personal, and for the secretary of tourism at the state level, there are no sidelines.

The president of the College of Tourism Professionals in Guerrero, Gustavo Solís Sánchez, declared that “if Graciela Báez does not get behind the defense of the Tianguis, she should go back to the Federal District, where she came from.” He added that she has clearly been negotiating with Gloria Guevara “behind our back.” He called upon the Governor to put a tourism professional in the job. “In Acapulco and Guerrero we have people with doctoral degrees and master’s degrees in tourism development, and who know the issues very well.”

The troubles of the now embattled state tourism secretary began when she criticized Acapulco Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños for politicizing and popularizing his dispute with Gloria Guevara, with mass demonstrations, banners and other forms of public pressure. She said that he was being “erratic” and uncompromising. She recommended that he keep to the task of “cleaning up the beaches,” implying that tourism promotion was for her department and its federal equivalent, and that the mayor of Acapulco should not be involved in such things. Meanwhile, the mayor said, in a press conference in Mexico City on Wednesday, that “defending employment and economic inflow into Acapulco” is his main purpose, and the Tianguis Turístico represented 2,000 jobs and over $200 million pesos in annual inflow.

Añorve pointed out that Acapulco was truly the first tourism destination in Mexico, and has been contributing to the national economy ever since. Acapulco helped to create the other areas, like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and others, because it was from Acapulco that labor and know-how came for the party boats, parasailing, cooks, water craft, and many other things. He said that Acapulco, not the federal government, established the Tianguis Turístico in 1973, and that it has had 36 successful editions, starting in 1976, and culminating in this year, 2011. He said, “Gloria Guevara is mistaken in trying to take asset of the people of Acapulco and Guerrero. It contradicts federal policy about generating jobs and fighting poverty.” He added that the head of federal tourism promotion “has all the intentions of taking the Tianguis to the Riviera Maya, and she knows that she’s taking from Acapulco 2,000 jobs and over $200 million pesos of economic inflow. She created a committee made up of her own people, that is, she’s rigging the choice, more than in any of Mike Tyson’s fights, so as to steal the Tianguis from us.”

The mayor added that “the lack of security runs throughout the whole country. It is not just Acapulco. This problem exists in Cancún, Mazatlán and other places. Here at least, we are working with the Army, Navy and Federal Police.”

The press also asked the mayor about a previous statement by Guerrero State Tourism Secretary Graciela Báez Ricárdez, who said that the mayor was being erratic and that he had politicized the problem. She added that he would do better to quit squealing and get down to the work of cleaning up the beaches. Añorve responded: “Graciela needs to calm down. I ask her: Does she favor keeping the Tianguis Turístico in Acapulco or does she support the robbers?”

Aguirre, for his part, said that the two opposing factions share many concerns in common and that their opinions coincide in several respects, putting aside the basic issue on which they are diametrically opposed: the construction of the dam. The governor said that the CFE is the governmental entity that must decide the matter. The federal government has passed the legislation and budget, and the state government has no role in deciding about the project’s future. Aguirre is interested in helping to mediate between the competing interests, to be sure that the project, when implemented, adequately addresses the concerns of all. Specifically, he urged that CFE should first offer a fair price for the land that will be under the dam’s flood plain. He also said that the utility should commit to a decrease in electric rates in Guerrero as a result, and that it guarantee the supply of drinking water to all the neighborhoods and communities of Acapulco, something that CAPAMA, the local water authority, has been unable to provide for decades. “They should also guarantee that there be no damage to the ecosystem, taking into account all that they have told us about the most modern technologies.”

Finally, the governor pointed to the local economic benefits from the construction of the dam itself. “The locals are the owners of the dump trucks and heavy equipment,” he said, “and obviously the government will need to make fair contracts with them and support projects in the area of ecology and tourism, taking advantage of the large lake.” The governor is envisioning an impact similar to that which happened in the 1930’s near Las Vegas, with the construction of the Hoover Dam, a project that effectively raised the local economy out of the depths of the Great Depression.

In related news, congressional Democrats re-introduced the “Dream Act,” a bill that would provide a path to lawful residence for persons who entered the US without documents when they were children and who have lived in the country ever since. Many of these are denied public education and college because of their status, a status that they had no part in establishing. Proponents regard the current law as wasteful of human capital, ignorant in economic terms, hateful and racist. Those who oppose the law rely on xenophobic sentiments of the rightist extremes in the Republican party and the fears of labor unions, which traditionally try to prevent new workers from entering the economy. The State of Maryland, for example has just implemented a law that would deny a college degree to anyone not a legal resident of the United States.

The last VW beetle ever made came off the assembly line in Puebla on July 30, 2003. Most cities moved to four-door taxis at that time, but Acapulco has made no changes. As a result, all the broken-down beetles in the country are gradually migrating to Acapulco, where they are still permitted to circulate.

The recently named director of urban transport, Jorge Pineda Ventura, warns that he will soon implement a regulation to prevent VW beetles from being used as taxis if they do not measure up to some minimum standard of maintenance and appearance. Transit police are being instructed to arrest undocumented drivers. A representative of the local Chamber of Commerce, First VP Juan Manuel Estrada Castell, agreed, saying that if Acapulco seeks to reposition itself as the main vacation spot in Mexico, it will have to do something about the taxis.

A local resident told the paper, “some taxis are frightening, not only for the poor condition of their chassis and interior, but also because they use license plates from other states, which causes doubt about their security and safety.” Pollution from the many smoking engines was also cited as another hazard. Many – possibly more than 50% – of the VW taxi fleet in Acapulco are operated by “pirates,” who have neither permits nor plates. Others serve mainly as lookouts and reconnaissance for organized criminal gangs. According to one resident quoted by the paper, “No one ever complains about these drivers, who are sometimes violent, for fear of reprisals.

For his part, the governor said that he had come to listen to everyone: to those against the project, and to those in favor of it. About 1,000 local property owners attended the event. Even though he put on one of the black CECOP t-shirts that says “Full stop on the La Parota Hydroelectric Project,” Aguirre cautioned those present: “It seems to me that they [CECOP] made a strategic mistake in the attempt to persuade, convince and engage as participants those who today are landowners. I am not going to encourage any type of mass meeting, nor any sort of event in which they might get involved again.”

As concerns his refusal to sign the “contract” pressed upon him by the CECOP faction, Aguirre said simply, “I sign nothing before I read it.” Among other things, the document pressed upon the governor by the CECOP protestors committed him to initiate a project to cancel the dam project at the Federal level and to inaugurate a series of public benefit programs in the region.

When asked about the Governor’s response, Acapulco Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños said he was in full agreement with Aguirre. “It’s just basic common sense. Those of us responsible for public administration know well that you can’t sign a document you have not had an opportunity to read and consider. It is clear to me that the governor is trying to put himself above the problem, listening to the parties, and at the right time, decide how to resolve this conflict, which has already been going on for many years.”

The group gathered at the flag pole on the Costera by Parque Papagayo and marched to the Zócalo. At least 500 persons participated, all of them dressed in white. The banners they carried said “No more blood” and “We’re fed up”. These phrases come from a national social movement against the violence, spurred by the nationally-respected poet Javier Sicilia. Other signs said, “Stop spending for arms,” “Give peace a chance, not war,” “Enough is enough: Ceasefire,” “Don’t fight violence with more violence,” and “This is not our war.”

Several of the marchers had messages about their own personal losses, of a son or some other innocent victim. Many wore t-shirts with photos of murdered or missing young people. Persons of all ages, social strata and walks of life took part in the demonstration. Representatives of the churches and of civil institutions took part as well.

Once the group had arrived in the Zócalo, the spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Acapulco, Jesús Mendoza Zaragoza, announced that finally voices have been raised to demand peace. “Fear is the main weapon of the violent. Citizens have energetically demonstrated with a lively interest in defending peace. [The violence] has shaken us, has left us abandoned, vulnerable and insecure. It was time that we should start to shake off the fear, stand up, go out into the streets, and walk together. We are not alone. We all share a common interest in constructing peace,” he said.

In Taxco another 200 persons marched, mainly women. The message was the same. Workers, business people, homemakers, students; in short, everyone demanded a halt to the violence and a return to peace within the city. As the contingent passed different cross streets, it picked up more and more adherents. They, too, marched in silence. They, too, called upon the federal government to end its war against organized crime, which has resulted in so much death and damage.

The private sector representatives, for their part, justified their meeting with what seemed to be a sworn enemy of Acapulco on the grounds that the federal official needed to hear what were the worries and fears of the tourism sector in Acapulco, and that a means of coordinated effort needed to be found for solving Acapulco’s tourism problems. David Abarca Rodríguez, representing the travel agents, said that even though the sector continues to fight for the return of the Tinguis Turístico to Acapulco, it would be good to know what alternatives, if any, the federal government proposes to rescue the tourism industry in the port. His organization will support “those decisions that are best for Acapulco, and not necessarily for the politicians, who have been making speeches for two months without telling us anything of a strategy for the rescue of the city.” The participants emphasized that it was not a secret meeting, and that it was a positive step that the tourism secretary had listened to their problems. “There’s nothing sinister about this meeting, they said, this is not the first of its kind. We want to get together with the government officials frequently.”

This quake was centered 55 km west of Ometepec, at 11 km of depth, in an unpopulated area. Ometepec is part of the “county” of Chilpancingo.

Meanwhile the director of monitoring and analysis of these phenomena in Guerrero, Roel Ayala Mata, told the press that yesterday’s tremor brings to 214 the number of seismic events in Guerrero this year, and that represents 15% of all such episodes in Mexico. “There is a plate in Guerrero,” he said, which since 1991 has not let off any energy. All the seismologists in Mexico are paying attention to it, as it could reach magnitudes comparable to those that hit Japan earlier.”

For Guerrero, this jeopardizes well over half of all state and local police. According to Mr. Almonte, a significant number do not even know how to read and write, much less be able to obtain a college degree. The municipal police forces are most vulnerable in this respect, he said. There are over 3,200 beat patrolmen, auxiliary police and ecological police, and more than half failed to finish grade school or high school, says the public safety director. He speculated that the “ministerial police” (those who work as investigators of crimes for the prosecutors) probably are facing the same situation, but he said he had no direct knowledge of that part of the picture.

Salgado Gómez was in Acapulco for the swearing in of Arturo Deloya Fonseca as the new director of the Fideicomiso Acapulco, a government trust for promoting the city’s tourism industry. Salgado Gómez celebrated the fact that “the acts of violence do not occur in the tourist zone.” He asked the media to emphasize that the murders have not affected the tourist population, but rather have been between organized criminal gangs that fight each other for turf. “Things are now beginning to improve,” he said, “and we don’t want yellow journalism to be what people remember about us.”

Meanwhile, five persons were killed in and around Acapulco during the day: Two were killed and another was injured in a gunfight while they were washing buses in a rough neighborhood of Y Griega, around 11:00 pm yesterday. Another died from gunshot wounds in an outlying village, and two were found executed near Pie de la Cuesta. They had been bound and gagged. A “narco message” was left with their bodies. Finally, one man was shot three times with a .45mm pistol, twice in the head and once in the chest, as he was driving his SUV through the middle of the Costa Azul section of town. It was around 10:30 in the morning. Undeniably, the murder occurred inside the tourist zone, near hotels and restaurants. To be sure, the victim was not a tourist, but rather a construction executive, and the murder had all the earmarks of a mob “hit.” But it all took place within a few hundred yards of the beach, on Horacio Nelson, near the bar formerly called Motown. No tourists were affected by the incident, but it is unsettling for violence to appear so close to the bay and the beaches.

Municipal Secretary of Tourism, Érika Lührs, informed the group that 550 large banners had been placed all over town in defense of the Tianguis. Fifty thousand decals and 150,000 fliers have been distributed in the tourist areas. Over 20,000 wrist bands have been handed out. Seven news bulletins have been sent out across all of Mexico.

The mayor points out that 80% of those who will participate in the choice of the next place for the Tianguis work for her. “They are her 3 or 4 litter bearers,” he said. “We can’t wait around with our arms folded.” Añorve pointed out that the defense of the Tianguis is a social movement, in which everyone has an interest. It is not simply a political quarrel between the mayor and some federal bureaucrat.

All of this seems like partisan politics and political theater. Nothing explains why no trace of the case can be found at the state level, not even a copy of what was delivered to the federal prosecutors last summer.

Moreover, Ms. Cadena Azcona did not exactly say that the investigative file has been located or that it is in the possession of the federal authorities. What she said was that the case was removed last June from the state level to the federal level, as provided under Mexican law, and that the matter was within the jurisdiction of a specific subdivision of the Ministry of Justice competent to handle such matters. Conspicuously absent is any mention of the actual investigative files, which are the center of the controversy. No one has actually produced the investigative file on the Chavarría matter, and no one has come forward to give a report on its status.

The argumentative legislator asked finally, “Why should López Rosas even care? Once the case has been removed to the national level, there is nothing he or anyone else at the state level can do anymore.” The response was that the state AG has an interest in seeking justice in the case of a political homicide, especially one that has the appearances of a local cover-up to protect people with political influence.

Until the Mexican Attorney General confirms possession of the actual investigative files and reports on its status, the political dogfights in the state capital will continue between those loyal to the former administration and those supporting the new one.

Añorve added, “We are ready for the next long weekend (May 5 and Mother’s Day). Our answer to her is that the government and people of Acapulco were united, and we achieved 9 percentage points higher in hotel occupancy than predicted. And we will have a very good Cinco de Mayo weekend.”

Añorve added that Acapulco will continue to protest the removal of the Tianguis Turístico and that attorneys are preparing to block use by another city of the intellectual property associated with the Tianguis, which belongs to Acapulco. He added, “As mayor, I am not going to keep quiet. I will continue to insist and continue to protest to those who are trying to steal Acapulco’s assets, because [this event] represents $200 million pesos of economic inflow and almost 100% in hotel occupancy.” Añorve made it clear that he believes competing economic interests to be the cause of Guevara’s decision, and that it is not justifiable on policy grounds, implying thereby that money has leaked into the process to distort the policy outcomes.

In response, the legislators threatened to lock down all federal appropriations for tourism promotion, which Mr. López Negrete’s office will seek for the 2011 edition of the fair. The secretary of the Tourism Committee of the federal congress, Fermín Alvarado Arroyo (Acapulco), responded that the 16 members of the committee will do everything to make the Tianguis Turístico remain in Acapulco. “Of course, we could accept President Calderon’s reduction of $800 million pesos in the national budget for tourism promotion. This year, Gloria Guevara has us to thank that we put that money back in. But we will approve no more resources for SECTUR if she does not accept that the Tianguis Turístico should remain in Acapulco,” he said. The legislator added, “We are going to review the budget for next year, to give them the same treatment that they gave to the people of Acapulco.”

Federal funds in support of the Tianguis Turístico are not earmarked, but rather come out of the general budget of the Mexico Tourism Promotion Council. Some of the money comes from immigration fees collected from tourists entering the country, and the other part comes from general revenues.

The introductory fare of Viva Aerobús is $550 pesos, one way. By being able to leave Mexico City early on Saturday morning and arrive back home early Monday, passengers can extend their stay in Acapulco. Historically, this flight had been very popular in previous years, and was suspended because of corporate problems within the carriers. Viva Aerobús is hoping to make a new, fresh start, with the idea of recapturing a traditional market that has not been served recently. The aircraft can accommodate 150 passengers, and left on Sunday’s inaugural flight with a 90% load factor.

Oscar Hernández Salgado, the coordinator for Public Services, said that there will be continuity in the provision of sanitary services. When previous contractor PASA walked off the job in March, it left large piles of accumulated garbage along the central zones of the city. The new contractor, known as “Eagle,” has been operating in Guadalajara, its only other location, since 1994, and has a reputation for being reliable. They will begin on Sunday with 20 trucks, and will add 15 more within two months. The city official said that this company (unlike its predecessor) has committed to honor the routes and schedules determined by the city. The city pays $356.70 pesos per ton of garbage collected. Its performance in Guadalajara is an average of 2,233 tons per day with 100 employees and 210 trucks over 205 routes. A different part of Caabasa, the construction division, was contracted in 2010 for the remodeling of the International Convention Center of Acapulco.

No one knows whether Servitran will continue with its contract when the current extension comes to an end. It was contracted by the previous municipal administration, and even though that contract expired on December 31, 2008, it has continued under a system of short term extensions. Locals have had a mixed experience with Servitran. In some neighborhoods there have been few complaints, but in others, the public has raised objections to their willingness to empty all receptacles and to honor pre-established routes and schedules.

Three other incidents occurred in the industrial suburbs, near the Mexico-Acapulco toll road, where the driver of a Ford Fiesta was shot by automatic gunfire in what appeared to be a mob “hit.” A separate attack caused the death of a 47-year old man nearby the first, as AK-47 gunfire killed him as he was driving his Honda Accord with Mexico City plates. A third victim, age 32, was killed in a drive-by shooting as he was talking to two other persons on the sidewalk, also in the remote suburbs of town.

Several legislators called for issuing a summons to former governor Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo and all others involved in the case. The PRD legislators seemed to take it for granted that senior officials of the previous administration were involved in the killing.

The political opposition also used the event to try to win some debating points. The leader of the PRI faction in the legislature complained that the Attorney General was “confusing the issue,” saying “what we want is punishment for those who committed the crime, not a lot of worry about who stole the files.” López Rosas responded, “It would créate more confusión to be silent about it. It would be more confusing to hide the truth.”

One lawmaker criticized the AG for making the matter public. López Rosas answered, “In my office we do not accept manipulation and disinformation. Not to inform the public would be to resort to laziness.”

In his statement the Attorney General said that he had conducted a conversation with the federal attorney general about the Chavarría matter and also about drug interdiction in Guerrero. He also had asked the federal assistant attorney general for Guerrero, Estela Cadena Ascona, if she had retained the dossier on the murdered legislative leader.

One of last year’s contract winners, Promotora Ambiental SA de CV (PASA), was assigned routes in the city’s downtown area. In March the company abandoned its obligations, so the city had to hire another company for two months until the contract ended. Meanwhile, Servitran (Servicios de Transporte SA de CV), the other private company contracted last year, continues to work with the Sanitation Department to collect garbage in several other parts of town. Both private contracts expire tomorrow at midnight.

The six companies that came forward to bid on the contract that starts on Sunday morning are: Caabsa Eagle S.A. de C.V. and Eco 5 Recolección SPRRL, both from Jalisco; Gestión y Manejo Ambiental S.A de C.V., from Morelos; Proactiva de México, from the State of Mexico, and the current contractors, Servitran and PASA (now called “GEN”). It has been announced that Servitran’s contract will be renewed, but that PASA will not continue. The replacement company has not been identified. The sanitation director also did not say for how long the new company would have a contract, but he mentioned that the routes and areas may be adjusted so as to equalize the burdens among the public and private garbage collectors. He added that Servitran’s contract will be extended rather than renewed, but he did not say for how many months.

The city is divided into four regions for assigning collection duties. PASA handled one area (the central area) with 15 trucks. Servitran also handles a somewhat larger region with 18 vehicles, and the Sanitation Department handles the rest with its 40 crusher trucks and pickups. The combined fleet collects 800 tons on weekdays and as much as 1,200 tons on weekends and holidays.

The Servitran and PASA combination have been under contracts for two years now. According to press surveys, neither one has complied with its commitments. One local newspaper (Novedades Acapulco) has published photos of large accumulations of garbage at certain “black points” in the city, where it is obvious that the trucks had not been by for days and days. Several such locations are along the Costera Alemán, in the historic section and in the Progreso neighborhood. Citizens all over the city frequently protest that the trucks do not come by on the days established for their routes, that they do not always empty the containers when they come by, and that they refuse to collect anything considered “excessive” unless extra money is given them.

The CIJ works to help rehabilitate drug addicts throughout Mexico. In Acapulco they are treating 93 addicts. So far this year they have provided drug counseling to 7,000 youths. Sánchez Aguilar reports that the consumption of these substances does not appear to be rising, but the age when drug use starts has dropped to 12 years, when children commence with tobacco and alcohol abuse. Others start by sniffing paint thinner. Many, but by no means all of them, are “street urchins” who are abandoned and homeless.

The CIJ also provides counseling to parents about how to protect their children from drugs, including cocaine and marijuana. Marijuana use in Acapulco is declining according to Sánchez Aguilar, but cocaine in crystal form is on the rise.

The founder of the CIJ, Kena Moreno, added that research performed in 2010 shows that 46.8% of all Acapulco’s teens (between 15 and 19 years of age) use some form of illegal drug: cocaine, crack, marijuana, alcohol or tobacco. More shocking is the statistic that 36.6% of children between ages 10 and 14 are engaged in illegal drug use. That is more than one-third of Acapulco’s youth between 10 and 14.

According to the research report, of those teens who admit using some form of illegal substance, 89.4% say they use alcohol and tobacco. Of the same group, 64.3% say they use cocaine, as compared with the national average of 44.6%. Crack use was admitted among 34.9% of them, in comparison with the national average of 28.4%. The survey also included the use of pills, like tranquilizers and sedatives.

The CIJ gives many drug prevention talks in the elementary and secondary schools and tries to educate parents in the poorer neighborhoods about the risks and signs of drug use by the very young. The organization relies on the contribution of 7,000 volunteers.

In another incident in a notoriously dangerous part of downtown took place around 1:30 in the afternoon, when a young man was shot by pistols and an AK-47. Several gunmen exited their cars at Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (the “Via Rápida”) where it intersects with Vasco Núñez de Balboa, and chased down the youth to deprive him of his life. The corner has long been considered a dangerous intersection, where drug violence is common.

Around 6:00 pm another crime took place not far from the first one, in the road to Pie de la Cuesta, in the inbound lane, near the start of the red light district in downtown. One man was shot and killed; the other was wounded and taken to hospital. Once again the presumed motive was drug trafficking. Twenty-six shell casings of an AK-47 and 12 from a .9mm pistol were found at the scene.

Sotelo Rosas and his former boss, the ex-governor, have evidently hinted that the matter is a “witch hunt” mounted by the new administration to “take vengeance” on their predecessors. The current attorney general, Alberto López Rosas, has said publicly that the former governor “persecuted and pursued” him throughout the six year mandate. A committee of the State Legislature has requested that the Attorney General appear to provide further details in the matter of the missing investigation files. He has said to the press that his is well-disposed to appear, “just as soon as Governor Ángel Aguirre Rivero approves of his cooperation, and that the summons was issued in accordance with law.” He has denied that the matter has anything to do with vengeance, and is simply being pursued as part of his responsibilities to ensure the complete and competent investigation of this political homicide.

For her part, the widow of Armando Chavarría, Martha Obeso Cázares, has requested a clarification of the situation, warning that she will pursue her legal rights against anyone responsible for the crime or its cover-up. She and the brothers of the deceased have been unhesitating in alleging that the “hit” on Chavarría was authorized and carried out by persons in power. She added that 20 months have passed since the crime was committed, and she has neither received information about who was responsible, nor an explanation why they chose to kill her husband.

CECOP leader Marco Antonio Suástegui Muñoz declared that CECOP would continue in its resistance to the project until the federal government prints in its daily register that the project has been definitively canceled.

The tribunal’s decision is based upon irregularities in the procedures employed by the landowners’ group to approve the expropriation offer, including failure of proper notice, failures in the proceedings themselves, and technical flaws in the conduct of the group after the decision was taken. Less than 20% of the required 75% of affected landowners were present, and others voted who were not qualified landowners in the region under review. The victory for the protestors lay in having the judicial branch confirm that the original decision in favor of the expropriation was “tampered with and manipulated.”

About 1,300 hectares (about 3,200 acres) are involved in the proposed condemnation of land, including community lands (“egidos”) belonging to the village of Cacahuatepec. Because the tribunal found five different defects in the proceedings complained of, the CECOP leadership is confident that there will be no appeal. Those in favor of the project are expected to regroup and commence another procedure to reach the same conclusion, this time, in accordance with the law. Ex-governor Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, a strong supporter of the project, was frequently quoted as saying, “All the citizens of Guerrero are in favor of this project for their development and prosperity; the protestors do not number more than maybe 50.”

Local residents are accustomed to tremors, but this one was stronger and longer than usual. And, lest people relaxed entirely, an aftershock came 11 minutes later, at 4.6 on the Richter scale, and lasted just a few more seconds.

Acapulco usually feels a dozen or more mild tremors per year, and the hotels all post instructions on what to do in the case of a quake or “sismo” in Spanish. This one, however, was notable, even for locals inured to the shakes. Hotel evacuations were not necessary, but tourists, unaccustomed to such phenomena, crowded into the streets in the early morning.

No injuries were reported. Property damage was light, limited to a few breakable items that fell from shelves or tables.
The U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado, which monitors such quakes and tremors, reported that the tremor had an epicenter around 29 kilometers southeast of Acapulco, at a depth of almost 13 miles.

In distant Mexico City, some residents felt the effects of the quake, where buildings swayed a little, and the windows shook.

“We are going to have to step on some toes,” said Hernández, “but we have to do it to improve Acapulco’s image. The people who cover for the pirates and the irregular beach rentals have a lot of political pull, but it has to change.” Hernández said that shortly he will release to the press the names of the politicians who are involved in the irregular operations. He is just waiting for a green light from the General Secretary of the Aguirre administration to begin legal proceedings. He plans to meet with federal and municipal authorities to help bring the beach concessions back under the rule of law.

Hernández added that the state government will be spending $7 million pesos to construct the traditional palm-roofed palapas along the beach, which were such an Acapulco attraction forty years ago. They will substitute the motley collection of soft drink and beer logo umbrellas that now dot the beachfront.

On April 21, two bodies in an advanced state of putrefaction were encountered about 200 meters from the highway near the city’s airport.

On April 24 in the wee hours of the night, a severed head was discovered in front of Zihuatanejo’s main bus terminal. A “narco-message” was reportedly left at the scene but its contents were not released to the public. It is alleged to have been left by the Sinaloa Cartel threatening various local cartel members and their supporters and to have singled out several prominent members of the local community as well as the preventative police force.

On April 25, at approximately 2:30 pm, a group of cartel members clashed with military personnel in Ixtapa’s Playa Linda area resulting in the deaths of four gunmen and the recovery of several vehicles as well as several large caliber weapons.

Today, April 27, at approximately 4:30 am the bodies of four men were found tortured and decapitated in the Los Almendros area of Zihuatanejo. The bodies were found together with a series of seven narco-messages reportedly signed by Chapo Guzmán and the Sinaloa Cartel.

Locals attribute the recent upsurge in violence to increased activity by drug cartels in the area as La Familia Michoacana and more recent arrival, the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, battle with the remnants of the local criminal infrastructure left behind by captured cartel linchpin, The Barbie.

Ms. Báez added that the best way to neutralize those State Department alerts and the bad press is with results, like that which came out of the first week of the Easter holidays, and also putting on events and activities with a publicity dividend, to give a good impression of Acapulco. “We need to generate positive reports,” she said. “And how do we do that? By letting people know about our high occupancy and the events we hold. That is the best way to counteract the negatives.”

The Ixtapa example also shows that the trust for tourism that operates Fonatur can function efficiently. “They have their problems,” she said, ”but they are clearly identified and are being resolved. Their promotional campaign in the United States is very successful.” The remark was somewhat pointed, as money spent in promoting Acapulco in the United States is not considered well spent. Critics have said that most of it stays in Mexico with well-connected friends of the government. The portion that is spent on direct promotion is spent by people who are not promotion and advertising professionals, and who are not local to the target markets.

Local Hotel Association president, Padro Haces Sordo, seemed non-committal. He said that Ixtapa has an easier job because it is smaller and more homogeneous. “We are many zones,” he said. Admitting that Acapulco has grown much in recent years, and not always in a balanced way, he said, “We can learn something from other destinations. We are very much on time.” Smaller destinations just outside of Acapulco matched or exceeded the numbers for Holy Week in the traditional zone. Coyuca reached 96% of capacity, while San Jerónimo, La Union and Petalán reached 85% occupancy.

The new attorney general, Alberto López Rosas, promised an update on these cases for the day after Easter. His announcement astonished the assembled reporters: Someone took the entire investigation file on the Chavarría matter. It is gone. They cannot even determine if the case had been forwarded to the federal attorney general, as the Zeferino administration had indicated. AG López Rosas is awaiting an answer from the nation´s capital. He also issued a summons to David Sotelo Rosas, the previous attorney general, to respond concerning the status of the case. The deadline was within 72 hours. Sotelo Rosas ignored the summons. Another former official of the state AG’s office, the presumed custodian of the file, was sought; however, he evaded service and has fled.

The AG has filed a criminal complaint against the person or persons who caused the case file to disappear.

The municipal Tourism Department announced that each visitor spends, on average $950 pesos during a Holy Week stay in Acapulco. Curiously, they then estimated the economic impact of the week at over $700 million pesos, which is more than double the per capita expenditure time the number of tourists. No further explanation was given.

Hotel occupancy for the last days of the Holy Week vacation period was revealed as 85%, presumably a weighted average of the three zones: traditional (nautical) (71%), Golden (87%) and Diamond (86%).
The weather was perfect, all week long, with cloudless skies, a soft breeze, and temperatures in the 80’s.

Pedro Cano, public relations director of the Crowne Plaza, said that we should be “very proud of and grateful to those who come here from Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Veracruz and Chihuahua. We should treat them very well so that they come back.” His hotel was sold out for nine straight days this year.

About five hours later another woman was found murdered in the same way, behind the Church of the Sacred Heart in Mozimba, a working-class neighborhood of Acapulco not far from the site of the first crime. The victim was 29 years old. The fifth murder was discovered outside Acapulco, in the Renacimiento area, in a tough neighborhood called “Primero de Mayo.” She was found face down in between the rear seats of a gray Seat automobile, also with her throat cut.

Messages found at the scene read: AIDS, SELFISH, WITCH, ALCOHOL, ANOREXIA, LIE.

Police have not determined a motive for the series of killings, but suspect they were carried out by the same person. Neighbors of the beauty salon speculated to the press that the crimes could have something to do with the growing extortion and protection rackets that have taken hold in some parts of the city over the last year. Other reports indicated that the salon operated as a clandestine brothel and was involved with members of the drug trade. Rumors have also circulated that it was a revenge killing carried out by someone infected with an STD by one of the women.

The governor emphasized that “the governor has the proper power to change anyone who, in his judgment, is not showing adequate performance for the citizenry.” Not surprisingly, the main party of the winning coalition in the election, the PRD, has been pressuring the new government to name party faithful to plum positions. The governor has firmly resisted the pressure to hand out patronage, insisting rather on filling positions according to the qualifications of the candidates.

The ex-employees, Salvador Navarrete Calderón and Pablo Reyes Astudillo have sent a letter of protest to the City, with copies to the press, alleging that a warehouse foreman, Margarita Vélez Rivera, is really a domestic employee in the councilman’s home. Another administrative assistant, Brenda Jazmín Hernández Marino is said to be Solorio’s niece, and a manager of budget and costs, Guadalupe Cortés Mendoza, is in actuality his wife. Another dozen or so persons were mentioned in the letter, including relatives of the councilman, of his wife, and of Ms. Vélez Rivera, the employee in their home. None of them actually work for the City, they say.

Further allegations involve the disappearance of approximately 100 tons of recycled steel scrap, which they say left the City’s warehouse in private pick-up trucks under direction from Ms. Vélez. Approximately 300 square feet of ceramic tile was taken away under similar circumstances, the letter alleges. Another of the named individuals, Guadalupe Cortés, is said to have taken $100,000 pesos in money, documented by false invoices. Ms. Vélez is also alleged to have received 10% kickbacks from suppliers to the City for procured items. The letter of protest also cites that the year-end bonus for some of the workers in the maintenance department was withheld by named persons, threatening them with termination if they complained.

Mr. Calderón, one of the signatories of the document, said that it seemed to him to be “very unfair that they are firing workers just to be able to add family members to the payroll.”

Neither Councilman Solorio nor the City has made any comment.

Both Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños and Governor Ángel Aguirre Rivero were on hand for the opening ceremonies. The organizers of the event praised how the city had greeted them with open arms, and expressed their wish that Motor Fest 2012 would return to Acapulco.

In his remarks, Mayor Añorve explained that the municipal and state governments are working together to diversify the range of tourism services and activities that Acapulco offers, and an event such as this one is proof of the wisdom of that intiative. The governor added that the event should find in Acapulco all the most favorable circumstances, aid and support, in hopes that they will return year after year.

The Convention Center has been the focus of controversy during the last two weeks. Last year, then-governor Torreblanca had said that Guerrero State had granted a 30-year concession to a private firm to operate it as an exhibition center. In January the Navy confirmed in writing to the governor that the property belonged to the federal government, and that the Navy would use is as a command center in the fight against drug trafficking. This document was made public just two weeks ago. Locals reacted to the revelation with loud protests. Earlier this week, State Secretary of Tourism Graciela Báez Ricárdez said that the Navy would not occupy the whole property, and that its use would be for research and early warning concerning natural disasters. She said the various uses, including that of tourism, could be easily harmonized. Admiral Lara’s statement yesterday is consistent with the impressions that Ms. Báez shared with the press. He said that there is no need for the Navy to build a command center, as “we already have facilities for such activities.”

When the admiral was asked if the property could also accommodate the objectives of CAABSA, the private sector group planning to make an investment there, he said, “I have no opinion about that.”

The first is the surprising revelation that the Mexican Navy, and not the State of Guerrero, has control over what will happen to Acapulco’s International Convention Center. Last week it was revealed that last year the federal government acquired the property from the Bank of Mexico and had given it to the Navy. For its part, the Navy has said, in an official communiqué, that it would establish a command and control center there, to aid in the struggle against narcoterrorism and organized crime, forces that have threatened to make Mexico a Somalia-style “failed state.” Drug corruption has so infiltrated law enforcement agencies and political institutions that only the military can be trusted to combat the cancer.

At the same time, the previous governor had disclosed that he had approved a 30-year concession of the property to Grupo CAABSA, a private sector consortium that owns “Expo Bancomer,” with the idea of renovating and revivifying the property for conventions, tourism events and visitor shopping and services. Evidently, the concession was not the governor’s to give.

Quite understandably, locals have shrilly protested the placement of a military bunker in the middle of Acapulco’s Golden Zone. They fear that it would make Costa Azul a battle ground and chase away whatever intrepid tourism remained. Until now, the drug violence has been confined to outlying areas, far from the beaches and resorts. But that is likely to change with the establishment of a Navy command and control facility just a few hundred yards from the beaches and the bay.

This week, the Guerrero Secretary of Tourism, Graciela Báez Ricárdez, said that the two conflicting uses could be harmonized. They Navy would use only a small part of the property for a research facility to warn of impending natural disasters, like earthquakes and tidal waves. The remainder would be available for tourists and tourism development. Today it was reported that Governor Aguirre has tentatively confirmed his tourism secretary’s idea, but conceded that conflicting claims on the property, between the Navy and the private sector, would inevitably have to be resolved in court.

Meanwhile, the 34-acre property lies fallow.
The Tianguis Turístico

The second cause celèbre disputed between Acapulco and the federal government is the decision by federal Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara to take Acapulco’s 36-year tradition of hosting Mexico’s main tourist fair and convention away. This is the “Tianguis Turístico.” When asked yesterday if the governor had anything further to say about it, he said, “We are not going to put the brakes on the promotion of new events for the port. With respect to the Tianguis, we will achieve much more than whatever the outcome of this matter turns out to be. And we have made our position very clear: we are going to fight, in the courts if need be, to be sure that they respect the name ‘Tianguis Turístico,’ which is our intellectual property, not theirs.” (“Tianguis” is a Nahuatl word meaning “open market”.)

Acapulco’s mayor, Manuel Añorve Baños, is more acerbic still. Yesterday he pointed to the large number of tourists that had taken to the sun and sea along the beaches of the bay, and said, “Not even Gloria Guevara can stop the visitors from coming and from showing their loyalty and confidence in Acapulco.” Earlier, he had called her “Acapulco’s Public Enemy Number One.” He presided over the awards ceremony at Playa Tamarindos, sponsored by the city’s Family Services Division, for intricate and elaborate sand sculptures, an Acapulco tradition during each holiday period. He said, “Acapulco is not only sun, beach and fun; obviously we also have art and culture, and if we manage to take advantage of our natural beauty, as you can see today with the teachers from the Family Services Division, I have no doubt that people will take away a new and positive impression of this beautiful city.”

This information directly contradicts statements by Secretary of the Navy Admiral Francisco Saynez Mendoza to the effect that the Navy would take over the center of tourism and convert it into a military bastion of the conflict against drugs and organized crime. The Grupo CAABSA was said to have a 30-year concession of the property from the State of Guerrero and would invest $40 million in upgrades and diversification of uses. The apparent “glitch” is that the property is not the State’s to give. The tourism secretary said that the Navy “has no intention of appropriating the buildings to convert them into something that has nothing to do with tourism. On the contrary, they are conscious of, and sensitive to, the importance of this convention center to life around the Bay.” Her aspiration is to harmonize, to the extent possible, the two apparently conflicting claims on the real estate, perhaps permitting both to go forward.

Secretary Graciela Báez emphasized that the Navy’s use would be as a research center to alert the public of potential natural disasters. It would be just one small building, leaving absolutely unaffected the existing structures of the Convention Center. They will continue to be used to support tourism development. “Nothing will be there that has anything to do with fighting narcotics traffic,” she said. “It will be dedicated to research, nothing more.”

The controller announced his intention to begin administrative proceedings to determine what happened to all the public money, and who should be held responsible for the irregularities.

Auditors began a similar review of the state education department (SEG) and also of the state water authority (Capaseg). The indebtedness in SEG alone is more than $1 billion pesos.

All agreed that the maneuver is a purposeful act of ill will by the federal government towards Acapulco. Javier Saldívar Rodríguez called it “a shameful act.” Laura Caballero said, “First of all, it is a mockery on the part of ex-governor Zeferino Torreblanca, who said he would be renovating the convention center, while all along he knew that the Navy would take it over. It is sad that he treated his own citizens that way.” She added, “And it is regrettable that President Calderón approved this decision in an underhanded way, when the situation in Acapulco is so abnormal. We seem to be living in a perpetual curfew zone at night, where you see more armed men in military uniform than normal people.” José Luis Gallegos Peralta of Grupo ACA lamented that the decisions were made in secret without consulting with anyone locally: “The only thing we can say about it is that they are despicable and ungrateful people.”

The beaches in the traditional zone – Caleta, Caletilla, Tamarindos, Tlacopanocha and Papagayo – were especially crowded with families enjoying the sun, surf and aquatic activities like jet skis and the “banana” ride. The sea was calm in the bay for the visitors, but along the Diamond Zone and in Pie de la Cuesta the waves were unusually strong.

The beaches started filling up right after 12:00 noon. Meanwhile, the cruise ship Island Princess made its fourth arrival of the season in Acapulco with over 1,000 passengers, who spent more than eight hours enjoying the sights, like the Quebrada, and shopping in the port.

Over 2,300 police officers were evident in their patrols of the beaches and principal tourist spots in the city, as part of a strategic plan to give the visitors confidence that they will be safe and secure during their vacation.

According to the mayor, over 400,000 visitors are expected over this long holiday vacation period, resulting in more than $100 million pesos of economic benefit. He used the opportunity to make one more jab at the federal tourism secretary, Gloria Guevara: “In spite of the fact that [she] and the federal government want to slow down the development of tourism in this beach destination, Acapulco is, and will continue to be, the number one destination is Mexico because of its excellence,” he said. During the May 1 labor day weekend, local labor groups are expected to make peaceful demonstrations against what he called “the bad decision of Gloria Guevara and the federal government to rob Acapulqueños of this great asset [the national tourism fair called the Tianguis Turístico].”

According to the Department of Public Safety, the higher temperatures during the day, which now reach 30 to 32°C (89-91°F) will cause afternoon rainclouds to form. From now on, the chances of an evening rain shower in Acapulco are increasing. By May 1 we should be fully in the mode of “rainy season,” when one can expect tropical rainstorms every so often and a rain shower late at night almost every night.

Acapulco’s interim mayor (Ávila Sánchez) and then candidate for governor, Añorve Baños, were not made aware of the change.

On January 13 of this year, the Secretary of the Navy, on behalf of the President of the Republic, gave formal notice to Governor Torreblanca of the change in use and ownership. The governor continued to maintain secrecy about the decision.

The decision of Gloria Guevara to move the Tianguis Turístico from Acapulco is now believed to have been motivated in part by the knowledge that the Convention Center would soon become a command base for the Navy.

The widely told and believed version of the story was that a private company had acquired a 99-year lease of the premises and was planning to remodel the area and turn it into a more active center for recreational life, culture, and, naturally, shopping. This was essentially a convenient lie to cover up the real intentions of the government. In December of last year, after having been informed of the federal government’s decision, Governor Torreblanca told a public audience that a private group, Bancomer’s subsidiary for Congresses and Expositions, would take over the property.

The Navy plans to use the area as a command center in the struggle against drug trafficking and organized crime. No date has been set for the commencement of construction or occupancy. The official notice recites the “lamentable outbreak of extreme violence in this port, which is so important to the country – violence that will surely redound in other areas, such as tourism and our country’s economy.” The author of the statement, Admiral Saynez Mendoza, clearly an accomplished drafter of military bureaucratese, added that this violence “has created the imminent need to unite forces among the three orders of government to define approaches that can most conveniently be put into effect, using this real estate, so that we can most effectively comply with our duties and functions, given that the establishment of a Command and Control Center and related infrastructure is fully justified.”

Supply trucks and vehicles that provide tourist transport are exhorted not to double park or otherwise clog the avenue. Violators, according to the officials, will be ticketed and towed. Areas of high vigilance will be the flag pole area in front of Parque Papagayo, the Zócalo, and Condesa. The temporary imposition of parking restrictions will be informed to tourists by means of leaflets handed out at the toll booth just before arriving in Acapulco on the road from Mexico City.

Business owners and operators of restaurants and bars are unhappy about the rules. The problem is that parking is so limited that tourists unable to park on the Costera will probably not stop at all. “If Acapulco wants to free up the Costera,” they say, “Acapulco will just have to provide off-street parking.”

Most locals will readily agree with the owners of the stores and restaurants. Unless something is done about congestion caused by the countless noisy, ramshackle city buses driven mainly by reckless, beardless youths, the parking rules will do little to increase traffic flow. Even more to the point, double-parking is prohibited all the time on the Costera, but at almost any hour of the day some scofflaw is plugging up one of the through lanes because, evidently, the traffic laws do not apply equally to everybody.

In principle, Acapulco does not give traffic tickets to tourists. The rules are not enforced against people with political connections, and that includes many people who own or work in the stores, hotels, restaurants and bars along the Costera. This is especially flagrant along the Condesa, where one often sees double-parked luxury SUV’s that the traffic police dare not ticket. Even regular citizens can violate the rules and then avoid a ticket by giving the policeman a small bribe of $100 pesos or so (more for tourists and foreigners).

So the net result is that parking of some sort will continue, even when and where it is prohibited. The only people really inconvenienced will be law-abiding visitors, who cannot find a place to ditch their vehicle. The best advice for visitors is to park at the hotel and set out on foot or in a taxi.

Other aspects of the operation is to provide activities and information, keep traffic moving, keep the beaches tidy and generally enhance the visitors’ experiences. For that reason, other participants in “Operation Support Tourism” include the state and federal tourism promotion agencies, the consumer protection agency, the immigration authorities, the sanitation workers and beach cleanup crews, highway “green angels” (who come to the aid of motorists on the highway coming from Mexico City), the Red Cross, the bus companies and the Association of Hotels and Tourist Companies of Acapulco.

According to one state public safety official, an important objective of the exceptionally tight security is to persuade President Calderón that “those who visit Acapulco will be safe and always well taken care of.” His mission is to reestablish confidence of the visitors that they will be safe when visiting tourist spots in the state of Guerrero.

Without referring explicitly to his predecessor in office, López Rosas also declared his commitment “not to criminalize social struggles” and the review all arrest warrants that have been issued against leaders of popular movements. From 2002 through 2005 he was Mayor of Acapulco. He said that the six years from 2006-11 were difficult for him, as he was constantly persecuted by political enemy Torreblanca and accused of all manner of malfeasance and corruption while in office.

During the six-year term of Governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo more than 40 political murders, beatings and maimings took place, including the assassination of Armando Chavarría, then the president of the state legislature. The cases were shelved and allowed to get cold. One obvious implication was that someone in the government had an interest in protecting the perpetrators. This has been a sore point between outgoing Governor Torreblanca and the press, at least the papers most hostile to him. When asked about this sensitive subject, the new attorney general said that he would make sure that the cases go forward in a professional manner, without political pressure of any kind. “I am committed to making criminal investigation a more transparent process. We only need to keep certain things secret, but in all our cases we shall be as open as possible.” He promised a public status report on the political murders as soon as possible.

López Rosas also said that the process of cleaning up the ministerial police would move forward apace. “We have the instruction from the Governor, and we have the support to achieve it.” He added, “We want to retain the Tiaguis Turístico in Acapulco and we want to stimulate tourism throughout all of Guerrero, and nothing will stop us.” President Calderón provisionally reversed the decision of Gloria Guevara, his controversial Secretary of Tourism, and said the Tianguis Turístico could remain in Acapulco on the condition that all levels of law enforcement be purged of infiltration by organized crime.

The new attorney general also expressed his conviction to work with the president of the Committee on the Defense of Human Rights and with members of the communications media to safeguard free and open expression in Guerrero under the new governor.

As concerns the most recent violence on the outskirts of Acapulco, the governor said that the State of Guerrero is taking affirmative action to prevent crimes of violence. The State Police are now undergoing a process of upgrading their training, even while the rolls are being cleared of anyone suspected of having ties with drug gangs. He said, “Already the first 109 officers have gone to San Luis Potosí to take the training, which includes academic and professional instruction. They should be on the job by Holy Week. With all due respect, I will call upon the mayors to do likewise, as this is a process that we should accomplish in parallel.”

The governor was asked if he had spoken with the purchasers of tourism services who had supposedly asked Federal Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara to move the event from Acapulco. He said, “No, in fact they were going to give me a date for such a meeting and have not. But independent of that, I am not going to stop any action that your tourism centers require, no matter how the Tianguis Turístico controversy unfolds.”

Tourism alternatives include evenings of dance in the Zócalo: traditional “danzón” for the older crowd, and rock and salsa for the younger set. We shall provide prizes as an incentive. Another idea is to hand out coloring books and crayons to the youngest tourists, to entertain them while their parents see the sights. Another is to sponsor yoga and fitness classes.

When asked what the security plan is for the “tourism alternatives” initiative, Aguirre said that he wants to involve the citizens as well as reinforcing the number of peace officers. The governor mentioned Ventura Beach (“Playa Ventura”) as an example of “non-traditional” tourism. Playa Ventura is an unspoiled beach for camping and ecotourism, about 125 km southeast of Acapulco. He said, “They have organized the locals to help with security for their visitors.”

For example, German-born Pascal Clemens has been here for 17 years and directs a real estate company. He praised the weather: "It's not only good, it's excellent, it's outstanding, every day! Have you seen any rain here?" He looked up to the deep blue sky over a sandy beach on a pleasant spring morning. Romo´s article points to the temperatures (mid to upper 80’s), sun, clear skies, and gentle breezes as one reason that so many have come to Acapulco over the years. The Hotel Los Flamingos, once owned by John Wayne, still welcomes visitors on its cliff high above the Pacific waves. Other celebrities have visited often or lived here for a time. Most often mentioned are Elizabeth Taylor, Johnny Weissmuller (of Tarzan fame) and Luis Miguel. Today the resort area is filled with lushly landscaped villas, elegant mansions and luxury hotels that look out on this hemisphere’s most beautiful bay.

No one knows for sure how many expatriates live in Acapulco, but one official guess is around 3,000. That seems low. It also ignores the thousands of “snowbirds” who come every year for a period of six months. They are considered tourists rather than residents, even though they spend half their time here.

Recently rival drug gangs have fought turf wars in the poorer neighborhoods several miles away from the resort areas; but the press does not draw a distinction between the tourist area and the industrial suburbs or slums. Journalists do make the distinction in violent cities like LA and Chicago, but they report on Acapulco as if the drug executions were taking place right on the beach. Ignorant or irresponsible reporting cost Acapulco its “springbreaker” market this year.

Members of the expatriate community know better, as do the national tourists, who still faithfully come to Acapulco, especially for the holiday weekends. As a result, the hotels that depend on foreign tourists are suffering more than anyone else. According to Pascal Clemens, the local real estate market is holding up fairly well. “Rents for luxury villas have dropped,” he says, “but sales are holding their own.”

Others interviewed by CNN included Natalie Farmer, who lives in Canada and who has come to Acapulco yearly since she was a child. “I've always felt safe here,” she said. “Certainly you don't go looking for trouble and . . . go out in groups. And I think it's safe.”

Acapulco Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños often repeats the same message: All three levels of government (national, state, municipal) are working hard to end the violence. “Acapulco is standing on its feet . . . Acapulco is bigger than its problems,” he says.

Another young European, Shana Dewale of Belgium, comes to Acapulco every spring. “I see more violence in my country, in Belgium, than I see here in Acapulco. I never saw anything here as a tourist. I love it. I come every year and it's the best vacation I have,” she says.

American Joyce Patterson is an English teacher at Acapulco’s American University. A 35-year resident of Acapulco, she says the recent violence worries her, but it’s not even close to making her think of leaving. She mentions the “spell of the coast” – the embrujo costeño – that makes it hard for anyone to leave. She said, “We’ve got the beach, we’ve got the breeze. It’s a beautiful place to live.”

Undersecretary Cedano Galera admitted that it was possible that Guerrero actually had been invited to the meeting in Miami, but due to the change in government ten days ago, no one on the new team knew about it. Apparently no one in the Torreblanca administration had paid any attention to the invitation, if one was sent. In that case, bungling bureaucrats at the state level caused Guerrero to miss another promotion opportunity, not the animus or ignorance of an embattled cabinet member.

Two hours earlier, the chief of staff of the city government, Rogelio Lozano Herrea, was leaving his office in the Avenida Constituyentes when he offered a ride to a member of his staff, Armando Islas Barrientos. He then saw masked gunmen attack his staff member, wounding him. Lozano Herrera jumped in his car, drove past the wounded man, whom he put in his trunk, and then raced towards a nearby fire station along back streets, to avoid the criminals. The public employee is in critical condition in the hospital with two bullet wounds.

According to these recently compiled data, Acapulco ranks fifth in the category of total murders out of the 1,167 Mexican areas surveyed during the four years from 2007 through 2010:

Juárez 6,437
Culiacán 1,890
Tijuana 1,667
Chihuahua 1,415
Acapulco 661

The data also suggest that Acapulco remains a hotspot for murders nationally showing the forth-largest increase in total murders from 2009 to 2010 with a jump of 220 murders from the previous year (behind only Juarez with 508, Chihuahua with 256, and Mazatlan with 223), an increase of 150% - and the unfortunate trend looks as if it is set to continue in 2011.

But does one really put their life at risk by virtue of setting foot on Acapulco soil? Is Acapulco’s reputation as one of the most dangerous places on earth deserved?

Despite the sensational press accounts of mass insecurity in Acapulco, the data tell a remarkably different story.

Rather than telling the story of a once glorious tourist resort turned into hell on earth by warring gangs of narco-traffickers, the data lends considerable weight to charges locals have been making all along - that the crime problem in Acapulco has been greatly exaggerated. While certainly not what one would call good news for the port city, the numbers confirm that Acapulco remains a comparatively safe destination, if one far from its more idyllic past.

The measure most widely used to compare murder rates across disparate populations is to express the figure in terms of murders per 100,000 residents. Using such a ratio removes a good deal of distortion from the discussion. A large city, which, other things being equal, would have a higher number of total murders by virtue of its larger total population can be compared on equal terms with a smaller location to determine the probability that murder happens – a far more meaningful statistic in determining which location is really “more dangerous.”

In the year 2008, the year in which Acapulco’s media problem began in earnest, the area (assuming a population of 710,000) had a murder rate of 9.85 per 100,000 residents making it as statistically safe as virtually any urban area of comparable size in the United States.

In 2009, a very bad year by Acapulco’s historically peaceful standards with 150 murders, the city had a murder rate of 21.13 per 100,000 residents. Thus, making Acapulco statistically less dangerous than U.S. cities such as Memphis, Tennessee at 21.8 murders per 100,000 residents and Miami, Florida at 24.4 murders per 100,000 residents that same year. In 2009, Acapulco was more than twice as safe as New Orleans, Louisiana, population 343,829, with 50.6 murders per 100,000 residents.

While there were no panic-stricken press reports or government travel advisories warning travelers to avoid Memphis or Miami, Acapulco was under assault.

In 2010, Acapulco’s worst year to date with 370 murders, the city had a murder rate of 52.11 per 100,000 residents. Despite this grim statistic, Acapulco can still state with confidence that it is not a prohibitively dangerous city.

While Spring Break in Acapulco was all but called off during 2011 and many in the media went into embarrassing hysterics about the safety of tennis players at the Mexican Open held in Acapulco, Mardi Gras went forward without hesitation in New Orleans – a city with a comparable murder rate to Acapulco in 2010. What gives?

According to available data, in 2010 Acapulco remained safer than many U.S. cities. More so when one considers that Acapulco’s murder rate is distorted by the fact that Acapulco’s murder statistics are calculated at the municipal level rather than confined to the traditional city limits where its tourist infrastructure lies.

Virtually all of the violent crime that has plagued “Acapulco” has actually taken far from the tourist areas in towns located on the opposite side of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Moreover, many of the wilder reports of violence attributed to Acapulco did not even take place near the municipality of Acapulco, much less within the city limits.

The result would be similar to blaming New York for the crime wave that is taking place in nearby Newark, New Jersey.

To date, there has not been a single report of a drug gang-related attack on a foreign tourist in Acapulco. This cannot be said of many U.S. tourist destinations, and much less so in many international tourist destinations, where street gangs consider tourists prime targets.

No one should whitewash the problem of violence in Acapulco. Acapulco has a problem. A serious problem. One that is complex and defies easy solutions. Given the general inertia in Mexico’s drug war, it is a problem that may last for years.

At the same time, one should not ignore the wanton destruction of Acapulco’s tourist industry by the irresponsibility of many journalists and talking heads in United States and Canada. Many seemed to have rained hell fire down on the port city for seemingly no other reason than just because they could. Others simply seemed unconcerned about the facts.

Such irresponsible reporting has inflicted grievous harm on a city that did not deserve it. In the process, hundreds of local businesses have closed and tens of thousands of people have been thrown into poverty.

Going by the available data, not until 2010 would Acapulco’s murder rate have approached those present in some of the more troubled U.S. cities. There remains much evidence to suggest that Acapulco to this day remains safer than innumerable popular tourist destinations in which average U.S. or Canadian tourists would not hesitate to vacation.

As the statistics demonstrate, Acapulco has been a repeated victim of slander and libel. That the people of Acapulco must wonder who has done more damage to the city, the narcos or the media north of the border, puts Acapulco’s recent state of affairs into perspective.

Then again, why allow distractions such as verifiable facts to get in the way of such an entertaining story? And one must admit, the purveyors of the Acapulco demise myth rarely fail to cite the ponderously important facts - like that Elizabeth Taylor once vacationed here.

Tomorrow there will be a panel discussion among the leaders of the three main political parties, the PRI, the PRD and the PAN, concerning the economic policies and ideologies (if any) of each. Lula will then make his remarks, most likely centered on the economic reforms in Brazil to curb triple digit inflation and then to make the economy take its place as one of the principal emerging powers of the 21st century. Lula, a labor organizer and workers’ rights advocate, was arrested and persecuted by Brazil’s right-wing government and aristocratic elites, until he was popularly elected president of the republic in 2003 for a six-year term. Most observers have said that he served with distinction.

The confrontation started when members of a special unit of federal police and military called “Mixed Urban Operations Base” or BOMU in its initials in Spanish came across a group of delinquents who were setting fire to Acatianguis, an informal market area of street shops in Zapata. Zapata’s store owners are all victimized by extortion in a protection racket. Acatianguis, was low-hanging fruit for the criminals. Locals had two opinions about why the gunmen wanted to burn down Acatianguis: One is that the extortion efforts had been unsuccessful, and the arson was a form of terrorism and retribution. The other goes back to October of last year when a local director of the PRI and the logistics coordinator of Manuel Añorve Baños, Antonio Valdez Andrade, was executed for his alleged involvement in supporting the local drug gang headed by the drug boss known as “La Barbie.” His execution was “signed” on a “narco-message” by the Beltrán Leyva group and the Zetas. Valdez Andrade had been an active organizer of the vendors in the Acatiaguis market and a labor leader. Some locals said that since his execution for allegedly being involved with one of the rival drug lords, it was only a matter of time before Acatianguis would be a target of the others.

When the mixed police and military units surprised the arsonists, there was an exchange of automatic gunfire. Then the criminals threw incendiary grenades, which exploded and ignited the Comercial Mexicana store in Zapata, and nearly burned down other structures in the shopping area, including the movie theater next door. Both the Comercial Mexicana and all 112 shop locations in the Acatianguis were total losses. Firemen arrived promptly, and were already present when the gunmen threw the fire grenades at the Comercial Mexicana in order to cause confusion and permit an escape.

The soldiers and police pursued and arrested seven gang members, two of whom were wounded. Two others were killed by gunfire. One soldier lost his life in the battle. Three vehicles were confiscated as well as a large arsenal of weapons and ammunition, which the gang had kept in a storage place in a nearby side street.

(The Tianguis Turístico is an annual tourism industry convention created in Acapulco in 1976. Each year thousands of visitors and tourism professionals come for the event.)

Acapulco mayor and unsuccessful PRI candidate for governor, Manuel Añorve Baños, was not invited to the meeting, according to sources in the office of the Tourism Secretary. He has been vocal in his criticism of her. In Acapulco, Ms. Guevara was branded “Public Enemy Number One” when she announced her decision to move the annual tourism fair from the port city.

Members of the tourism sector expressed hope and optimism that Ms. Guevara's meeting with the Governor will result in a reversal of the decision to make the Tianguis an “itinerant” event, which moves from place to place. “The city, so badly battered by the image of gang violence, really cannot lose any more support,” said one representative. “We just have to think positive, that everything will come out all right.”

In his press interview, Aguirre also said that next week he will meet with the opponents of the La Parota Dam Project to try to understand their objections. The project promises such benefits in terms of jobs, economic development and abundant hydroelectric energy that the opponents have a seemingly impossible task to prevent it from going forward.

The mandate is for four years, six months and 25 days. During this time, Aguirre promised “an inclusive government, pluralist, sensible, with a human face and clean hands, never ungrateful and always respectful of freedom of expression.” The evident tacit commentary on the outgoing regime was not lost on the press or the people assembled to hear him.

Those present included President Calderon’s representative, chief of government Francisco Blake Mora, and the governor of the Federal District, Marcelo Ebrard. Several party luminaries from the PRD, Convergencia and PT were also present, as well as governors from several other states.

“The objective, said Aguirre, is to take Guerrero and its citizens out of its severe poverty.” To accomplish this goal, he said “The new government will direct its actions along four fundamental axes: social development, economic development, job creation and public safety and justice.” The high priority given to social programs should, the governor said, “help us define, widen and guarantee the rights of all persons and social groups in accordance with their needs.”

Governor Aguirre then publicly called his appointed cabinet members to service, starting with Silvia Romero Suárez, Secretary of Education. The governor committed the state to serve the children in the school system and also the more than 200,000 young people in the state who neither work nor study.

Senator Lázaro Mazón was called to be Secretary of Public Health, a difficult position now that several economic scandals involving his department had broken out under the previous administration, including allegations that the governor used a medevac helicopter as his personal transportation, leaving accident victims to fend for themselves. In another instance, apparently $150 million pesos destined for medical supplies disappeared up the chain of command. Aguirre has explicitly said that he will return the helicopter to its appropriate service, and is calling for a full audit of public moneys diverted from medicines to as yet unknown officials.

Alberto López Rosas was confirmed as Attorney General, and was asked to look into the yet inconclusive cases of the political murder of Armando Chavarría and the attack by PRI zealots on Guillermo Sánchez Nava during the campaign. Thirty-seven other unsolved cases of political assassinations await AG López when he reports to his new job. All occurred under the previous administration and all the victims were politicians allied with the PRD. Their cases were apparently shelved by Aguirre’s predecessor. The attorney general is also charged with drafting a new state constitution, to be presented for examination and discussion by June of this year.

In the lengthy address, Aguirre also touched on projects to relieve traffic congestion in Acapulco, especially along the corridor from downtown to the tunnel, and from Icacos to Punta Diamante, where a tunnel has been projected. Other issues were to combat the pollution of the rivers, especially the Huacapa. The Cerrito Rico dam project will continue, as well as the cleanup of the bays of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo.

The governor also took up the defense of the Tianguis Turístico, an Acapulco tradition for 36 years, which the current federal tourism secretary, Gloria Guevara is seeking to commandeer and send on an itinerant trail to other cities. He said he is making a special plea to the President of the Republic to leave the matter where it has been since 1976. Aguirre also referred to agreements with the Federal District, with Cuba and with Telmex to assist in the development of tourism, sport, technology, education and health in Guerrero. These include a resource-sharing program for matters of public safety and security with the DF government, a literacy program from Cuba for the schools, and with Telmex a program for free wireless Internet connectivity in the public parks and plazas, for the benefit of tourists and the general public.

At the end of his speech, Aguirre bade farewell to the crowd, and the music began, first with ballads and then with the festive dance music typical of Guerrero’s Pacific coast.

The spokesman for the state congress, Ossiel Pacheco Salas, explained that as soon as the second legislative session of the year was brought to order, the deputies named a special committee to accompany the Federal Secretary of Government, Francisco Blake Mora, and the governor elect to the presiding justice of the state Supreme Court, Edmundo Román Pinzón, who administered the oath of office. The outgoing governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, was not present, having left the state the night before. Governor Aguirre addressed the assembled legislature, the judicial branch and the senior staff of the executive branch of government. The ceremony lasted about 2 hours and a half.

Ambassadors to Mexico from several countries attended: Cuba, Thailand, Peru, Indonesia, Ukraine, Egypt, Turkey, Panama and the United Nations. Governors from several states also made an appearance: Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Sinaloa, Campeche and Chiapas. The party leaders of the PRD, Convergencia and PT accepted their invitations. Those of the PRI did not. Manuel Añorve Baños remained in Acapulco.

On Wednesday the Federal Elections Tribunal dismissed the PRI’s protest of the election as being without foundation, and confirmed the certification of Aguirre as the winner.

The state secretary also said that the “Tianguis” was born in Acapulco through efforts of Acapulqueños, and it has succeeded because so many people elsewhere in Mexico recognize what this port has accomplished for the whole country. He added that the people who supposedly had pressured the federal tourism secretary to hijack Acapulco’s annual tourist convention were the same people who for years had exploited the port and now turn their backs on it.

Mayor Añorve Baños added that the policy is directly contrary to President Calderón’s announced efforts to generate employment and combat poverty in Acapulco. He also said, “Gloria Guevara’s arguments are unsustainable. In the whole world there is no tourism fair of any consequence that is itinerant,” citing Fitur, Berlin and Montreal.

The mayor and governor-elect Ángel Aguirre, are being urged to marshal local and federal legislators and take the matter directly to President Calderón. In this they have the support of the chairman of the Tourism Committee of the federal congress, who said the decision by Guevara was “improvised,” and that it is not even referred to in the National Development Plan, The federal Sectorial Program on Tourism or in the 100 commitments in the recently solemnized “National Agreement on Tourism.” A member of that committee added that the secretary should be called to testify before Congress, to disclose the nature of the private sector money and interests that have been pressuring her to take such a decision.

Throughout Acapulco yesterday and today, members of the Mexican Confederation of Workers (CTM) demonstrated in several locations against the decision taken by Gloria Guevara, who was named “Acapulco’s Public Enemy Number One” by Rodolfo Escobar Ávila, a union leader in the city government.

Civic group “Grupo ACA” also showed its dismay at the decision, indicating that the presidential party, the PAN, will be remembered as the party that snatched this event away from Acapulco, and can thus forget any support in the 2012 elections.
Governor Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, who leaves office today, added that there was not the minimum amount of courtesy in informing interested parties in advance that the decision was being considered. Moreover, it is not clear that the federal secretary of tourism even has the power to take such a measure, since the event was a local idea, executed locally, and carried out successfully for nearly two generations.

Ports of call for the new cruise line will be Acapulco, its home base, Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Chiapas. The Pullmantur cruise ship Ocean Dream pioneered this route as a domestic (not international) service last year. Departures are planned for the entire year, and not just the few months of the winter high season.

Ocean Star Cruises calculates that it will create 750 new jobs, plus 3,000 indirect employments and an economic output of 620 million pesos annually in tourist expenditures, food and beverage, port services and taxes. The experience aboard the cruise ship will be focused squarely on the tastes, customs and desires of the Mexican national tourist. Everything will be in Spanish language, and no passports or visas will be required. Pricing, according to the operator, will he “highly competitive.” The initial voyages will be aboard the Ocean Star Pacific, with more, larger-capacity vessels to come on line as the demand grows.

The decision by the federal government was most unwelcome in Acapulco, where it was criticized as short-sighted and motivated by politics. The secretary of tourism said that it was only fair to share the economic benefits of the annual event among Mexico’s main tourist destinations. The official statement contained the expected banalities about site location: “We shall take into account the experience and facilities offered, the number of hotel rooms available, and the interest in promoting the destination.” The absence of narco-violence was not mentioned, but clearly was part of the thinking. No mention of this decision was made until the last moment of the event, apparently to avoid having to debate the decision, which was a fait acompli of the federal tourism bureaucrats.

Acapulco Mayor Miguel Añorve Baños said that the decision to move the tianguis to an itinerant schedule was “clumsy” and was a “stab in the back.” He said, “It seems that Gloria Guevara is Acapulco’s worst enemy.” He said that when the Tianguis closed, she sneaked out “by the back door.”

The newspaper checked buses in three points of congestion in the city: Avenida Cuahutémoc, the Costera near Las Hamacas, and “Vaquero” near the Mercado El Parazal downtown. In one hour, about 160 buses passed by these three places in a single hour. More than half of them – 87 – had no license plates. Of those, 64% were on the Garita-Vacacional route.

Traffic police chose not to answer reporters’ questions about why the buses are permitted to operate without license plates. They said it would get them in trouble with their bosses. When reporters tried to photograph the buses, the drivers threatened them with violence. One said he had a permit to operate without license plates, but was unable to produce it or give any further details. One law enforcement official, not part of the traffic police, said that all the buses probably had license plates, but the drivers remove them. That way, if someone is run over or if there is an accident, the bus can flee and not be traced. The unlicensed buses did display the bus number assigned to them by the city.

A number of riders interviewed by the newspaper were of the opinion that buses without license plates are “pirate” vehicles, and that they are in operation with the complicity of the traffic police. Others said that the buses just remove the front plate so as to use it on the back of another bus, thus putting two buses in operation with one set of plates.

Several members of the public said that the situation was tolerated by the traffic authorities, suspecting that they receive payments from bus owners, and that the net effect is the horrible congestion that everyone suffers through, especially on the Costera, Cuahutémoc and Constituyentes during rush hour.

The report cited another detail about the buses: Darkened (polarized) glass in the windows is prohibited, yet 800 of the 2,000 buses in circulation have it, in open mockery of the transit authorities. Article 35-10 of the transit code requires buses with polarized glass to be stopped by the police and given 48 hours to install legal glass. The fine is around $2,000 pesos. The reason is that in case of a hold-up aboard the bus, no one from the outside will be able to see what is going on inside. According to the Public Safety Director of Acapulco, 80% of the bus holdups are on vehicles with polarized glass. According to sources in the transit police, buses stopped and fined for dark glass wind up back on the streets in less than a week with the polarized glass in place. Other drivers say that the polarized glass is just something that causes police to stop buses, receiving $100 pesos in cash in exchange for not enforcing the law. Once more, it was the route Hospital-Vacacional that had the most buses in flagrant violation of this law.

Novedades de Acapulco compared this situation with Cancún and Querétaro, where the law is the same. In those cities, the penalties are stiffer and the law is enforced. Drivers are suspended for seven days and the fine is 5 times higher than in Acapulco. Unlike Acapulco, the buses in those cities operate in compliance with the law.

The document recognizes that Mexico is going through an unprecedented period of organized lawlessness and violence, putting the government to the test of combating groups that have adopted terrorism as their operating principle. “Organized crime and the terror they have been able to propagate threatens in many parts of this country our fundamental freedoms, like the freedom of expression and the right to move freely,” said Carlos Loret de Mola, one of the organizers of the event, which took place in the Museum of Archeology in the capital. He added, “The agreement proposes to search for common editorial policies that fairly reflect what is happening, but do not work to perpetuate the reign of terror that is the objective of the delinquent groups.”

The policy will protect the identity and privacy of victims, study mechanisms to protect journalists, and promote respect for law. Other measures are to regulate how violence is reported, presumably not to report the content of “narco-messages” or print sensational photos and accounts of cruelty. The policy also addresses the presumption of innocence, and instructs the media not to make accusations prior to the conclusion of legal process. (This probably means inserting “alleged” in front of every noun that may be used in connection with a crime.) A citizen´s group will be organized to evaluate how the participating media are doing with the new set of policies on reporting violence and criminal conduct.

Senator Pablo Gómez of the PRD said that the crime was almost impossible to enforce, and it was used mainly by men as a means of subjugating women and treating them as chattels. He said, “We are committed to restoring basic freedoms to women, and thus it was necessary to repeal this horrid law.” Other members also said the law was obsolete and contrary to the principle of gender equality. As a matter of cultural tradition, a husband who found his wife with a lover in the family bed was entitled to kill them both with impunity (though the reverse was not permitted, should a wife discover her husband in the same circumstances). The repeal of the law probably brings an end to that tradition, as no crime is being committed, and therefore any violence would not be justified. Many are skeptical, however, that the repeal of one statute can change a cultural reality that has lasted for centuries.

The arrival of the Pacific Ocean to Juan de la Cosa Street in Acapulco caused traffic to slow down almost to a stop, not just because drivers had to be more cautious, but also because of gawkers. A number of cars were towed, lest they be carried back towards the ocean when the current receded.

Acapulco’s public safety director, Nubia Sayago González, said that this year the phenomenon is expected to be between light and moderate. He called upon tour guides and others who have contact with the tourists to advise them to be cautious. The areas of greater danger are up in the Costa Grande (La Unión, Zihuatanejo, Tecpan, San Jerónimo,) and Costa Chica (like Copala and Marquelia), damaged more severely than Acapulco in previous years.

The construction contractor worked at the project for a few months and then quit. Yesterday, the newspaper Novedades de Acapulco broke the story that the uncompleted project has been covered up and paved over. New curbs, sidewalks and medians have been put in place in spite of the fact that the sanitary drainage pipe, which is supposedly under the right-of-way, is missing altogether in a segment about 200 yards long.

In November of 2009, Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños and CAPAMA director Rigoberto Félix Díaz cut the ribbon on this highly lauded sewer project that would help clean up the bay. The large sanitary drainage system was deemed essential to conveying waste water away from the “Las Playas” peninsula of Acapulco’s “Traditional Zone.” The project was to be completed in little more than a month, by December of 2009. Delays were explained away as “technical difficulties.”

Recently, the entire project has been quietly “paved over.” The authorities were hoping, evidently, that no one would notice. The newspaper account of the interment of the unfinished and useless infrastructure lays the blame on incompetence rather than corruption, though corruption can never be ruled out as part of the problem. No soils study was performed prior to breaking ground, so the project engineers were startled to find that parts of the drainage route in Las Playas passed through solid rock.

After much delay, the decision was taken to close up all excavation for the tourist season of 2009-10. Construction theoretically began again in May of 2010, at the beginning of rainy season. Local neighborhood groups, angry about the inconvenience, dirt and risk to health and safety, mounted loud demonstrations. The Politicians and bureaucrats calmed them down with promises of a rapid completion, but the work never went forward. The project remained idle until the surface was quietly paved and landscaped over.

The several actors in the fiasco – the municipal government, CAPAMA, CAPASEG and 2R Constructora – have tried not to attract public attention. No adverse actions have been taken against the contractor for breach of contract or recovery of public funds. Approximately US$1 million in public investment was buried in the partially dug ditch.

The same issue arose with the report on Acapulco’s hotel occupancy. The number reported on the state’s website is 85%, while the figures reported for the three regions were 89.5% for Diamante, 86.7% for the Golden Zone and 62.3% for Acapulco Nautica. The arithmetic average for the three zones is 79%, not 85%. The capacity in each of the three zones differs greatly, so if anything, the average would be weighted more towards lower-occupancy, higher-capacity hotels in the traditional zone.

The reported average for Acapulco in 2010 was 72.8% for the same holiday weekend, and it is not very likely that in this year, the occupancy figure would be higher. In the five days prior to this year’s long weekend, organized crime registered 50 homicides in the peripheral communities of Acapulco, a fact that the private sector feels discouraged tourism. Government officials, by contrast, have uniformly tried to minimize the effect on tourists of “the security issue” – the term they prefer over “fear of violence.” Evidently the plan is to “Speak Well of Aca,” to echo the words of the private sector’s image-making initiative, even if you have to stretch the truth.

The hotel association has long complained that the announced occupancy rates are misleading, even if the arithmetic were correct. A substantial part of Acapulco’s lodging is, in their words, “pirate.” People with empty rooms and apartments take in visitors without any of the formalities of a hotel. They pay no taxes and contribute nothing to the sector’s promotional efforts. In short, they are “free-riders.” This also includes the many thousands of condos and timeshares. In Acapulco Diamante there are more of these rooms than hotel accommodations, and their owners easily sell upscale lodging in competition with the resorts. If only the lodging and tax laws were enforced, the hoteliers argue, occupancy rates would be significantly higher.

Occupancy rates present other confounding problems: First, “occupancy” does not necessarily mean that any rental of a room for money has taken place. Many rooms go at little or no cost to promoters, tour organizers, and other “complimentary” guests. Additionally, competition for group sales has pushed average prices for blocks of rooms to a bare minimum level. Finally, the “capacity” figure itself is suspect. Many hotels decide for themselves how many rooms, beds or “pillows” they have available, so that the total figure is surely a blend of many different criteria and opinions. For that reason the professionals in the sector say that the “official” numbers are practically useless, and that a more accurate picture comes from privately sharing information about specific properties.

Springbreakers also were in evidence, though in vastly reduced numbers. Many traditionally stay at the Copacabana and Playa Suites hotels, which planned special events and activities for them. According to those who work with the spring break market segment, the few who arrived are going to be very glad they persisted and came, “in spite of travel warnings from foreign governments.”

The break down by area showed 85.2% occupancy in the traditional zone, 97% in Acapulco Diamante, and 93.7% in the Golden Zone.

Añorve was asked about the resignation of US ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual. He said that they caused him to resign because he was giving out negative information about Mexico.

Other tourism-related subjects in the press interview included the long holiday weekend, the parking on the Costera and the upcoming Tourism Fair. Añorve congratulated those in the port for the high occupancy this weekend, more than 90%, which shows that the public sector is providing the security while the private sector tends to the needs of the tourists, and “that tourism is loyal and faithful, and returns every weekend.” The mayor reminded everyone of the Tourism Fair (“Tianguis Turístico”), which begins in Acapulco on Friday, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the country. Añorve revealed that international attendance is up 30% over last year. To critics of the “no parking on the Costera policy,” he responded that he was responsible for that decision, and it came in response to criticisms from visitors who found the traffic jams unpleasant. “We are not bothering anyone, just trying to generate a new culture so that residents of Acapulco and visitors alike will understand what needs to happen to make things pleasant for everyone.”

He concluded, “I have no doubt that Acapulco is Acapulco, and is much larger than its problems.”

Private sector representatives strongly contradicted such statements. “There is a famine here,” they said, “because there are few tourists, and the authorities have done nothing to attract more visitors.” Tourist service providers held an informal press conference yesterday at Tamarindos beach. One representative said, “We are all suffering the greatest famine of all time. There is no tourism, and the cause is the cancer of insecurity. Acapulco is fast going broke, and state and local tourism officials are not doing anything. They do not strengthen tourism promotion, directly or indirectly, and they don’t even spend the resources already earmarked for that activity.” Another told the press, “Those who have the government jobs are not suffering the hunger that we are suffering as service providers to tourists, that is the truth. Those who say ‘there is a lot of tourism in the port,’ are lying.” Another added, “It’s easy to say there’s no crisis when you are earning a good salary and are in good economic shape.”

Not only were the service providers offended by attitudes of denial and inaction on the part of the government, they were worried by the announced policy of not permitting parking on the Costera. “Between the Zócalo and Parque Papagayo,” they pointed out, “there is no public parking at all. Where do you think the tourists will park?” Several agreed that the “no parking” rule seemed designed to impel tourists away from the traditional zone and the Golden Zone of Acapulco, towards the Diamond Zone, where the large hotels with political connections are found. In actuality, the Diamond Zone serves a completely different market, but the fear of discouraging tourism by failing to provide any parking is a genuine one.

The governor said that yesterday in Acapulco there was a meeting between state and federal law enforcement entities to plan strategies for security during this long holiday weekend and for next weekend, when the Tourism Fair (called “Tianguis Turístico”) will commence in Acapulco. In spite of everything, he said it is possible to “speak well of Acapulco,” and he said that the tourism sector does not appear to be badly affected by the violence and lack of security. He pointed to a good inflow of tourists into Acapulco for the holiday weekend.

Everyone is disgusted by the situation. The colectivos are the main form of transport from Colosio and Coloso to Acapulco, and $40 pesos round trip is too expensive for most residents. But due to the delays and congestion at the construction site, the drivers cannot afford to charge just $12 pesos for a trip over the ridge. City buses also run the routes, but they are infrequent (hourly) and always crowded. The ride takes around two hours – four times longer than the average colectivo ride when the construction does not slow them up.

Joel Tacuba García, the representative in Guerrero of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa), said that the Attorney General will be investigating the complaints made by his agency. Nine truckers were caught dumping construction debris into the wetlands, and arrested. It is still not clear who, if anyone, authorized the illegal actions. Possible candidates are CAPAMA and the construction company working in the area. The wetland itself is public land, in this case belonging mainly to the pueblo of Llano Largo. When asked whether Profepa and the Attorney General plan to move against the owners of the wetlands, the representative said that the matter would be handled under criminal law, as the arrests were part of a criminal investigation, and the persons responsible were caught in the act.

Separately, the newly appointed director of public streets, José Luis Flores Vinalay, has started the long-awaited clearing out of street vendors that clog the main thoroughfares in the center of town. The objective is to reclaim the public spaces that have been commandeered by “informal” businesses. The first phase was to have city employees go through the streets, checking business permits and handing out tickets to any who could not produce one. Tables and chairs blocking the sidewalks and gutters were physically removed. The merchandise was taken to a city warehouse, where it will be returned to owners who pay the fines imposed by the tickets. Twelve junked vehicles were tagged with a 24-hour towing notice. City police accompanied the officials as they made their rounds, serving as bodyguards.

According to El Sur, a newspaper with an editorial policy strongly antagonistic to the current governor, the state police has been used “as a repressive force, not at the service of the public, but rather to carry out the bidding of those in power.” It adds, “The many pending and unresolved cases of assassinations of politicians, journalists and those struggling for social justice have been treated with disdain, in favor of letting the criminals get away with impunity.”

The increase of violence in the state of Guerrero now makes the upgrading and cleaning up of the state police forces a top priority, and one that puts the liberal governor-elect on the same page as the conservative president of the country. The lamented the recent news of so many drug-related murders in Zapata and nearby communities, especially the killing of a 60-year-old grandmother and her two granddaughters in what was seen as revenge murders.

In a related story, the state secretary of public safety, retired general Juan Heriberto Salinas Altés, released his study that in three months, the dispute between competing drug groups has taken the toll of 160 executions and murders. The cruelty of the crimes, according to the general, shows that the motives are to instill terror in their rivals. He cited especially the “Cartel Independiente de Acapulco” or CIDA. Guerrero is in fourth place among the Mexican states for drug-related violence, due largely to the production of marijuana and to its status as Mexico´s largest grower of poppies. According to the general, three organized criminal groups are vying for hegemony in Guerrero. Two of them are of local origin, and are the ones that have been causing the majority of the violence and terror. “For lack of strong leadership, they are confronting each other, and this is creating a lot of victims of violence,” he said.

The general added, “The counter force against the criminals is comprised of Federal Police, the Army, the Navy and the State Police,” he said, “and we are getting results: 300 have been arrested, including six local drug bosses, and we have confiscated 200 weapons.”

The murders of the grandmother and little girls were carried out by armed gunmen in two shiny, late-model SUV’s, who sprayed the house with automatic weapons fire at 8:00 in the morning. One of them entered the house to do the killing. A young mother and a 20-day-old infant survived the shooting. Outside the house, police gathered up hundreds of shell casings. The crime took place in the Simón Bolívar community, in the higher regions of Emilio Zapata, out beyond where the toll road from Mexico comes into town.

In another area of Zapata, armed gunmen attacked three persons: a 37-year old father, his 15-year-old son and a 23 year-old friend. The attackers threw Molotov cocktails, burning the house and a car. They sprayed the area with bullets. No motive has yet been established for the crime.

In the same general area, between La Cima and Las Cruces, along the toll road from Mexico City, two men were found murdered in the back seat of a taxi. Later, two minors were also found executed in Zapata, together with another “narco-message” directed to taxi drivers and to the population of Zapata to “support” a series of persons connected to criminal gangs. One body was found near the entrance to the prison at Las Cruces and the other farther uphill in the Simón Bolívar neighborhood.

The archeological zone will be open to the public, something not permitted at any other time. The equinox will occur around 07:30 local time. Chilpancingo’s city government, in cooperation with the National Institute of Archeology and History (INAH), will provide additional security in the area for the whole weekend. Because March 21 is also an official holiday, in celebration of the birthday of Benito Juárez, the weekend will extend into Monday.

Tradition has it that those who visit the archeological site on March 21, dressed all in white, will absorb “the positive energy” that comes to or from the area on this mystical day. The site is nestled in the mountains, surrounded by four large ridges, each one pointing to one of the four principal directions. The pyramids there were oriented towards mount “La Comperta ,” where the sun rises. Another structure, “El Palacio,” is about 80 meters long at the base. There is a sun dial in the rear that the ancients used for detecting the solar equinox, the signal to start planting in the new year. The community flourished between 400 and 1100 AD and occupied around 200 acres. Eighteen structures have been uncovered, 57 caves in the mountains, and numerous petroglyphs.

Transportation from Chilpancingo will be provided by the Department of Family Services (DIF), and the departure will be from the ramp at City Hall at 6:00 am on Monday, March 21. Two traditional ceremonies will be celebrated: one at 7:30 for the equinox itself, and one at noon that involves ancestral rituals for peace and harmony among the world’s peoples. (No pets or food or drinks will be allowed inside the protected areas.)

CAPAMA does have a valid excuse for the lack of water service in the Diamond Zone, between Puerto Marqués and Coloso (and El Cayaco), because the 30-inch main was cut by the construction company that has been trying to build a cloverleaf at one of Acapulco´s busiest intersections. This was six days ago. Twice in four months they have cut water mains and at least once the job was shut down by the environmental authorities because they were dumping construction waste in a protected natural wetland. Yesterday the construction company, Consorcio Corporativo de Construcción S.A. de C.V., found two more punctures in the water supply system. The large leak was stopped, but only after it made a mud swamp out of the job site. Provisional repairs allowed service to be restored, but now thousands of households will be without water again for several days, while the three punctures are mended definitively. CAPAMA has said it will sue the construction company for damages.

The Mexican government was unaware of the initiative and said that a formal request for information had been lodged with the US government. Unofficially, the US government does not know whom they can trust among officials in the Mexican government, as many are on the payroll of the drug gangs. This is especially true for those in law enforcement and border operations.

It took over a day to locate the break, as the pipe is buried 16 feet beneath the surface. Rigoberto Félix Díaz, the head of CAPAMA, met with press yesterday, accompanied by city officials. They said that they would file a lawsuit for damages and also ask for criminal sanctions against the construction company, Consorcio Corporativo de Construcción en México SA de CV (“Cocomex”). “They have a map to all the buried water facilities,” he said. “It is just plain irresponsible of them to cut two major water mains in just a few months.”

The mayor urged citizens to show a little courtesy and public spirit by not throwing litter and garbage into the drainage canals. This is a hopeless exhortation. The predominant culture, or lack of same, is to throw anything that is unwanted anywhere. Scattered litter and garbage impose an enormous social cost on everyone in Acapulco, no matter where they live. One of those costs is the annual flooding of the drainage canals during rainy season. The mayor urged “concern for the environment,” but few if any will alter their litter habits for reasons of conscience.

The mayor pointed out that Óscar Hernández’s efforts last year, during the same pre-rain cleanup period, resulted in the collection of 10,000 tons of garbage. That is a lot of plastic bottles, tin cans, plastic and Styrofoam.

In response to all these criticisms, the governor said, “Those who complain are just trying to retaliate against us because in my administration, we do things right.” He said no information was lost in the fire because there was a computer backup of everything. “The investigation is going forward,” he said, “so that we can find the truth, and I am very calm about it because I know that we are doing everything right.” The governor was asked about the helicopter he uses for transport around the state, which was bought with funds for the Health Services. He said, “The press should pay attention to how and why we purchased it, and not pretend in the end that they are surprised.” Apparently it was an irritated way of saying to the reporters, “if you do your homework, it won’t be a mystery.”

On why the 38 political murders and the one maiming have not been solved, the governor said that in the context of violence today, we simply do not have enough resources to devote investigators full time to one or another case. “I would like to leave office with all of them solved, but that is just not possible, given today’s violent situation.” On Guillermo Sánchez Nava, he said that neither that case nor any other has been forgotten. The problem is that it was a mob who committed the crime, and that makes pinning down personal responsibility very hard.” The governor cited the fact that in general, 4 out of 5 homicides committed in the State of Guerrero remain unsolved.

The governor ended his press interview by saying that soon he would be telling the press what the plan is for the formal transition of authority from his administration to the new one.

Flores went to the US when he was about 15 and stayed there for 15 years. He returned to Mexico and Acapulco in 2007. It was then that he joined the group headed by Édgar (“the Barbie”) Valdez Villareal. His current job was to report directly to Moisés (“el Koreano”) Montero Álvarez, one of the leaders of the CIDA in Acapulco.

“El Padrino” said in a statement that the recent homicides committed in Acapulco are the result of a rivalry between two warring groups for hegemony. He said that neither is receiving assistance from the Sinaloa Cartel or the Gulf Cartel, as has been rumored.

Also arrested with Flores were six other persons, 5 men and one woman, 42 weapons, 10 packets of drugs, computers, telephones, drug scales, and a lot of documentation.

Fernando Reina is not only the world’s fastest barefoot water-skier, he is also a member of Acapulco’s city council. Mayor Manuel Añorve Baños praised him for his persistence and daring, and added that events like these, which broadcast positive images of beautiful Acapulco, are the best promotion for tourism in the town.

Police and fire personnel hurried to the scene. No suspects were detained. No one was injured. The fire was extinguished, but the records were burned.

Military sources said that the gunmen first searched for something before setting a match to everything they could find.

The building housed documents of the Secretary of Public Health. It was in this department that state auditors recently announced an embezzlement of $150 million pesos, which sum was preliminarily traced to Governor Torreblanca himself.

Immediately the public suspected that high-ranking officials in the outgoing governor´s administration were responsible for the break-in, somewhat in the style of Watergate under Richard Nixon. So far no explanations have been given, and no denials made.

When asked about private sector complaints that the government has mishandled to crisis of violence, he said he respected their right of free speech, but he would keep his own optimistic vision. He said he is not looking down on foreign tourism, but the port city receives a lot of other “breakers” from places like Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, etc. “Yes, it is a shame that the spring breakers were not here, and we miss them,” he said, “but in the end we just have to talk about the positives we have here and the large number of tourists that we do receive.”

Evidently the crime was contrary to an explicit drug-gang policy to leave the tourist zone alone. A day later the heads of four men were found in plastic bags out near the end of the toll road from Mexico City, with a message that named the men as “kidnappers and extortionists” who had to pay for killing Morlet. The gang shot up a police station and the home of a police commander in the working-class suburb of Emiliano Zapata prior to dumping the plastic bags on the highway. The written accusation was found with the grizzly deposit, signed in the name of a locally known crime boss. Police have not confirmed whether the victims truly could be linked to the murder on the Costera, or whether it was just “delinquent disinformation.”

Local businesses along the Costera in Costa Azul were very upset about the incident. Executives of discos and restaurants, who organized the “Speak Well of Aca” campaign, said that the crime on Saturday night was really an isolated incident and that the victim was targeted because of his association with a well-to-do political family. They emphasized that tourists are not in danger of similar episodes. Rodolfo Tercero, one of the founders of the campaign, told the press that it is demoralizing when something happens like the attempted kidnapping and murder of a member of Acapulco society, but it is important to distinguish between drug crimes and the run of the mill criminal activity that has been going on for decades both in Acapulco and in every other urban area. “This was not a drug crime,” he said. The “Speak Well of Aca” campaign does not try to cover up the problem of violence, but rather clarify and explain it. Moreover, it tries to change the awareness of those who live here and of the visitors, to emphasize the wonderful aspects of the town and resort community.

Mr. Salmerón is the director of the Playa Suites Hotel. In an interview yesterday he said that the government needed to take action, not simply come up with more decrees and regulations or show how well-intentioned everyone is. “The 100 points are fine,” he said, “but someone has to bring them down to earth and turn them into reality.”

“These problems get resolved by work, by political and economic will; I believe the state must act as facilitator of the activity. Even though the President is in the last year of his administration, he needs to replant for the future and place more trust in tourism.” Salmerón called upon everyone – private and public sectors, academics, commercial people, service suppliers, students of tourism – to work towards real objectives, and not let the matter lapse into empty political slogans, “as usually happens.”

On the matter of security for tourists, he said, “We must recognize that this is a problem, but it is not a great topic for promotion. Tourists need security and we must work for that. We must be creative, innovative, and really make things happen.” But you can’t use safety as a feature to promote a tourist destination.

The hotel executive called upon the President and his Tourism Secretary to consider Acapulco in their plan for repositioning tourism to Mexico. “Mexico owes a lot to Acapulco: it was the first tourist destination and has been the first for many years. Acapulco represents Mexico throughout the world. I’m not saying that others, like Cancun or Ixtapa, are unimportant, but we were the first, and we need more attention from the federal government.” He said that tourism represents over 60 percent of Guerrero state’s gross domestic product, which demonstrates its critical importance to Mexico´s second poorest state.

Such a request is not unusual from city government officials when organized criminal groups function with impunity, terrorizing the citizens. Chicago’s mayors made similar requests throughout the prohibition era, but to little avail.

Governor Torreblanca will render his sixth and final annual report on the work of his government today. Part of the report addresses the work of the security forces, especially the 12,000 federal police that have worked on a joint operation with state police in Acapulco and elsewhere. According to the governor, the work has been fruitful, but it is not sufficient to reestablish physical security for every one of Guerrero’s citizens. For that reason, he said, it is important not to reward villains with public attention or spread panic about violent and criminal acts.

“Help us,” he said to the media. “We can give it the importance it deserves, but do not transmit the messages for the delinquents or publish their banners or give publicity to what they do. Let us do the job we are trying to do together with the federal government: it is not simple, it is not easy, and it is a matter of national importance.”

As in almost all of these incidents, drug messages are left behind, and the bodies of the victims usually show signs of extreme cruelty and no respect for human life. And as in almost all such incidents, no suspects have been identified, and the crimes are expected to go unsolved.

The mayor of Acapulco, Manuel Añorve Baños, told the press that the Secretary should really get to know Acapulco better. “She comes just once a year – for the national tourism show hosted at the Convention Center – and spends the rest of the time focused on Mexico´s other tourism destinations.”

Meanwhile, heads of the business chambers and the hotel association responded to Secretary Guevara’s statement somewhat differently. They said she should not minimize the impact of the image of violence on the vertiginous drop in visitors. She predicted that the Spring Break crowd will come; it is just late in making its reservations this year.

In fact, they are not coming, and the reason is the fear of violence. The private sector worries that if the main government official in charge of promoting tourism has misdiagnosed the ailment, how can she possibly work competently towards an effective cure?

Government and business alike expressed the opinion that the federal government must attack the problem frontally with investment and aggressive programs to reverse the poor image caused by the incessant bloody attacks in the poor and working class areas of town. “We need her to help solve this problem, not deny that it exists,” said the head in Guerrero of Mexico’s confederation of manufactures, Pascual Romero García. “Denying that it is the main problem just to avoid facing it does no one any good,” he said, “like trying to block out the sun with your finger.”

With respect to the idea that the “springbreakers” are just slow to commit, an executive of Playa Suites, a popular Spring Break location, said that the wholesaling travel agencies have all canceled with them. No one is expected to arrive. Many professionals in the sector see the same thing happening with cruise ships as with Spring Break unless the private sector and all levels of government get behind a promotional initiative to clarify the situation in Acapulco and other tourist destinations, and demonstrate that Acapulco remains an attractive and inviting place to spend vacation time.

The report also presumes that Acapulco is an important market for illegal drugs, that is, turf worth fighting over. In fact, Acapulco is relatively small and rather poor. The turf is more important in the mountains, where production occurs, and in the remote areas of the coast, where the smuggling takes place. The idea that drug lords parade in and out of Acapulco Bay each day with loads of narcotics is simply a manufactured image, inconsistent with the facts. For these reasons, Acapulco mayor Manuel Añorve Baños, dismissed the report, branding it “incongruous.”

Curiously, the report cited Mazatlán, not Acapulco, as the place where the violence was most persistent last year.

As regards the State of Texas travel alert that warns students in that state against visiting Mexico, she replied that she had been in touch with US ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, who told her that at this time there are no travel alerts in effect in the United States with respect to Mexico. “Travel alerts do not have an expiration date. The last one on Mexico was issued back last September,” he said. “It advised tourists to understand the risks of their destination and to be cautious about coming to Mexico.”

Ms. Guevara added that the drop in sales of Spring Break tour packages has much to do with the continuing economic crisis and the persistently high unemployment in the United States. Her analysis was seconded by Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, who said there is never just one reason why a certain destination rises or falls in popularity. “What matters most are the promotional deals, the quality of the infrastructure, and of course, personal safety.” “As tourists become more informed, they understand the ambivalence of the security factor, and they consider other factors as well. Besides, security is a concern everywhere, every day.” This opinion was also echoed by David Scowsil, director of the World Council of Travel and Tourism, who said that safety and security have been worldwide concerns for twenty years or more. “The [security issue] is more on the minds of tourists now because of recent events,” he said, but added that the Spring Break market would prove acceptable, once students react to last minute promotions and commit themselves to come.

Mr. Bardín is frustrated, as it essentially puts the project back more than four months, as the government must commence with a second investment group. He said that the insolvent airline was left waiting at the altar, like “the village bride”; everyone was ready for the marriage, but the bridegroom was missing. TG Group is now the only realistic suitor left.

A PRI council member, Ramiro Solorio Alamazán, defended the nominee, saying that she served with distinction in her previous position, and that she was a competent, energetic and intelligent woman, who, more than anyone else, could get the job done. He added, in a political punch against the PRD, that Ms. Lührs could school the apparent nominee for the state-level position in tourism promotion, Graciela Báez Ricárdez, who not only has no professional background in tourism, but also does not even come from the state of Guerrero. “Ms. Lührs could act as her tour guide and show her around Acapulco,” he said. Federal District Governor, Marcelo Ebrad, a possible PRD candidate for President, suggested Ms. Báez’s name to governor-elect Ángel Aguirre. She had served Ebrad in his government previously.

PRD council member Ester Muñiz retorted, “Acapulco has no need for tour guides,” suggesting that the PRI comment was not only politically motivated, but misogynist, patronizing and rude. She called on everyone to let these two women have the opportunity to get the job done.

When called to a vote, Ms. Lührs was approved as municipal Secretary of Tourism, replacing Jessica García Rojas, who had been criticized by some private sector leaders for her lack of knowledge or experience in tourism. Though a supporter of Añorve, Ms. García was a member of the PAN, and not a PRI loyalist like Ms. Lührs.

Of the 20 buses checked out, four drivers were arrested for marijuana possession and one for bringing along an illegal assistant/co-pilot (known locally as a “chalán”). Two of the four arrested for drug possession were also underage. In other words, 20% of the drivers examined were carrying marijuana on them while at work. The sample is not random, so it is incorrect to extrapolate to all buses in Acapulco, and it says more about the intelligence of young drivers than it does about pot usage.

The good news is that apparently all 20 buses were in compliance with the requirement to have a license plate and documentation of the vehicle and driver. All 20 apparently were also abiding by the law against excessively loud speakers and horns. That indicates that the city’s campaign to bring buses into legal compliance is slowly having its effect.

Already competitor cities are trying to have the tournament moved to their venues in the coming year, spreading rumors, and local authorities are averring that the tournament will return to Acapulco next year. In truth, that decision is several months away. Meanwhile, the foreign press, ignorant of local facts, keep harping on the violence theme. For example, one web source, AFP trumpeted “13 dead as tournament opens,” without clarifying that the slum violence is worlds apart from the tennis venue. In fact, more people were murdered in Los Angeles during the Oscars weekend than in Acapulco during the same period, but that is not considered newsworthy.

The archbishop was referring to the persistent reports of organized crime violence. Such incidents are usually restricted to neighborhoods far distant from the tourist areas. He said that in Mexico, Guerrero state and Acapulco the media have created a reputation of danger and excessive violence, which discredits our civil society and discourages tourism. He said, “In this respect, the reported information needs to be more objective and less hysterical,” adding that “this sensational journalism is exaggerated because that is what sells. It might seem to bring a benefit, but it winds up causing harm.” He suggested that the media provide “sincere, truthful and objective” information. He also suggested that positive aspects be covered as well, and not just the macabre crimes.

Marcelo Ebrard, governor of the Federal District and a PRD luminary has made recommendations to Governor-elect Aguirre concerning a new state secretary of tourism development. When the press asked Alvarado García about this, rejected the idea, being a good PRI soldier who would never approve an idea of the political opposition. “I think we have capable people in Guerrero,” he said, “We don’t need outsiders.”

The problem is that tourism promotion is one of the “safe places” to which a winning politician can appoint a crony seeking political patronage. The labor leader added his name to those of many in the tourist sector who have petitioned Ángel Aguirre that he not “leave the fate of tourism in Guerrero” to someone who is just being paid a political debt. Because it is Guerrero´s most important economic activity, the new state secretary of tourism promotion should be someone who comes from the sector and is respected as a professional in the field.

Four of the seven operations were plainly illegal, having never obtained the required operating permits. Two of them engaged in parallel activities not permitted by the regulations and inconsistent with safe operation. One plainly was ignoring the requirements for safe operation. The next stage in the process is the imposition of fines. LP stations will not be permitted to reopen until they have complied completely with the permitting process and other legal requirements for operation.

Another provision provides a 180-day transit visa for persons who find themselves in Mexico without proper documentation, allowing them to return home without risk of incarceration or exploitation. This measure will help nationals of other countries (like Guatemala), who are deported from the US into Mexico without concern for their nationality.

Article 151 of the bill was also removed. It imposed fines and sanctions on illegal immigrants and the employers who hire them. Many of the bill’s supporters come from the conservative PAN, which represents employer interests. In the United States, labor organizations typically oppose immigration liberalization for obvious reasons of self-interest. Curiously, the Mexican left, comprised of the PRD, PT and Convergencia, criticized the original bill because it looked too much like the US immigration policy, perceived as xenophobic. The unanimous consensus on the final bill shows that the legislators were united in establishing a Mexican foreign policy of openness, one that serves as a positive example for its neighbor to the north.

The bill now goes to the Chamber of Deputies, where it is expected to pass after review and debate.

The illegal connections are most evident in the poorer communities in the periphery of Acapulco: Zapata, Renacimiento, La Venta and La Sabana. Another concentration is along the coast to the north of Acapulco: Jardin, Pie de la Cuesta, Sector Seis, Nueva Era and San Isidro.

Some connections are attached to the meters of other people, who have to pay the bill, but most are just “hung” on the transformers or supply wires with a device called a “diablito.” In those cases, the power is simply stolen from the utility itself. These illegal connections are responsible for short circuits and damage to CFE’s transformers. They cause frequent black-outs in the neighborhoods where the practice is most rampant.

CFE is responding by installing new transformers in some areas. According to Ramírez, it is not possible to steal energy with the new transformers in place, and to try to do so would be life-threatening.

Añorve cited as an example, the Mexican Open Tennis Tournament, now underway in Acapulco. “No one canceled. We are ready to receive thousands of visitors, and public service is at 100 percent.” He added, “the people of Acapulco are hard working.”

On matters of security, he has requested that federal forces sent to Acapulco during the time of the elections be permitted to remain. He said that violence has become a problem in the majority of the country’s municipalities, and Acapulco is no exception. “The best response,” said Añorve, “is to get to work.”

Rodolfo Tercero, one of the coordinators of the project, said that the private sector decided to move on its own to repair the image of Acapulco, recently damaged by reports of violence. Government-sponsored efforts just were not enough, or were not well-directed, or just bogged down in bureaucracy. Tercero said that in December it seemed as if Acapulco was full, but the restaurants and discos were not.

“What we need to do is speak well of the place where we live, and begin to erase that image that is so negative.” Another leader in the project, Erick de Santiago, added that “this is an effort to make the society unite, to create a positive awareness among national and international tourists.” In this week, training courses will begin on how to market Acapulco as if it were a commercial brand, in national and international markets.

Meanwhile, parents of college kids read the headlines about Acapulco and refuse to let their kids come for Spring Break. Thus has come to an end an important tourist niche that took decades to build. What the parents do not know, because the papers do not tell them, is that the violence takes place many miles away from the tourist zone, in poor neighborhoods where drug gangs vie for hegemony. The crime rate is higher in New Orleans than it is in Acapulco, and Los Angeles is just a bit behind. Yet the local papers in New Orleans and LA do not carry every act of violence on the front page the way they do in Acapulco. Perhaps it is because other, more important stories merit the attention of readers in those cities.

Acapulco’s drug violence is not much different from that of large urban centers in the United States. Almost all the victims are males aged 17 to 35, and almost all are killed or injured in the poor neighborhoods in which they lived. Though families often deny it, doubtless the young men were involved with gang culture, petty crimes and drug distribution. Naturally, a fraction of those killed are victims rather than members of the gangs, and the proportion, though small, is impossible to estimate. This syndrome is found virtually everywhere where there are large concentrations of urban poor.

This does not mean, however, that it would be folly for tourists to be cautious. It does not mean that they need not be watchful about thefts or capture. Like every other vacation spot in the world, Acapulco has its share of those who seek to prey upon tourists. It is sensible to leave documents and valuables in the room safe; it is sensible to avoid dark and lonely areas late at night; it is sensible to travel in groups. But the odds that a tourist would be touched by drug gang violence are extremely low: they are about the same as for visitors to the tourist attractions of Washington, DC, New York or LA. The difference is that the press in those cities find other things to put in the headlines besides actions by local crime groups.

Some of the informal businesses have attempted to obtain temporary permits, but were turned down “because of the disorder they create.” Some believe the sudden interest in law enforcement after years of neglect is to get rid of those who are loudly protesting the privatization of Icacos Beach with a private yacht pier. Nevertheless, the representative of Semarnat was optimistic that within a month the other businesses would have permits and be in compliance with the rules governing the federal coastal zone. Vega denied that the administrative changes in the municipal and state governments have anything to do with the initiative. He added that the objective is simply to subject businesses in the zone to rules, so as to organize services like massages, water sports, sale of handicrafts and areas for pure relaxation.

Examples cited included the Marina, the new Yacht Club, and several hotels from the sixties that are being remodeled and refurbished. He mentioned the reconstruction of the International Convention Center in Costa Azul, which has been ceded by concession to a private company for 99 years.

When asked about the drop in Spring Break tourism, Añorve responded that reservations are running at 80% and that the city will increase security for all tourists, including students from the US and Canada. Likewise, three levels of government will cooperate to tighten security in the tourist zone during Holy Week and the week after. Easter falls on April 24th this year, one of the latest possible days for the holiday.

In a separate story, the Mayor is reported to have requested more Federal Police to help in security surrounding tourists in Acapulco. “This port is peaceful,” he said, “and we want to keep it that way.”

Normally it costs about US$300 in fees and other expenses to take care of the legal arrangements for the civil marriage. (This is required of all couples for legal purposes in Mexico; the religious part is considered optional by the state.) On this one occasion, the city’s Department of Social Development picked up the tab, which totaled about $235,000 pesos. Each couple received a veil for the bride, a corsage for the groom, a floral arrangement for the bride, and two rings, in addition to a waiver of all fees.

Couples of all ages and conditions were married: some in their sixties, and others in their teens; some with babes in arms and others with babies well on their way. Most wore white; a few were in t-shirts and sandals. One couple, who had come all the way from Cacahuatepec, finally married after 36 years of living together. After the event, there was cake and refreshments for all, and a raffle for several gifts.

As usual, maestro Eduardo Álvarez, conductor and musical director of the OFA will preside. The opening piece is the “Light Cavalry Overture” (1866) of Franz von Suppé, director of the Austrohungarian Orchestra and a noted 19th century romantic composer, born in what is now Croatia. Then the orchestra will perform German the first clarinet concerto (1811) of German early romantic composer Carl Maria von Weber. The OFA’s own Ángel Cornejo Velázquez is the invited soloist.

After an intermission, the audience will hear the prelude and “death of love” from Tristan and Isolda, Richard Wagner’s paean to romantic love. The final touch on the evening will be either a selection from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Phantom of the Opera” or a piece by Antonin Dvorak.

The maestro will come on stage at 8:30 for his usual informal chat with the audience. Admission is free.

Añorve’s return comes in spite of resistance from opposition legislators. They argue that the state legislature appointed José Luis Ávila Sánchez as mayor when Añorve resigned to make his bid for the statehouse. Therefore, only the legislature can undo that act and reinstate the elected mayor for the remainder of his term. PRI loyalists in the state legislature disagree, saying that Añorve “notified” the congress of his leave of absence, and now is “notifying” them of his return. There is no normative role for the legislature in this turn of events. Some legislators take an intermediate position, saying that Añorve is entitled to return as mayor, being the person elected to that position; however, he needs a green light or a nod from the legislature before doing so. The local PAN opposition has started a campaign to accumulate signatures for a recall of Añorve from the position.

Whether the law favors the PRI stance or the positions adopted by his opponents, Añorve is expected to take up the reins of city government tomorrow morning, and the current mayor, Ávila Sánchez, will return to his post as director of finance. He served as interim mayor for four months. There has been no official announcement of this move; just leaks from “informed sources inside the city administration.” However, Añorve has convened a press conference for tomorrow morning, all of which points to his return to the helm of the city government.

The public safety director warned company managers that the periodic roadblocks to check buses and their drivers will continue as a permanent part of the routine for law enforcement. One issue is the willingness of drivers to pick up passengers or drop them off at any point along the route, and not just at the designated stops. The problem is that the transit police let just about anyone park in the bus stop areas, so the buses cannot really use them. The city responded that from now on, transit police will keep the bus stop areas clear of commercial and private vehicles. They would also do well to enforce rules against double parking.

At one roadside checkpoint on Tuesday morning near Pie de la Cuesta, in a very short period of time the police discovered under age and unlicensed drivers, buses without documentation or plates, and several violations of the noise pollution law. Thirty-three tickets were issued, four sound systems and 15 trumpet horns were confiscated, and one driver was arrested for being armed with a concealed ice pick under his t-shirt. Bus regulations also require that drivers dress properly, with shoes, long pants and a collared shirt. As so many were driving in shorts and flip-flops, the authorities plan to convene a session with the managers of the bus companies, to help restore order. The numerous documentation infractions showed that bus company management has been as indifferent to the regulations as the drivers themselves.

Ecology director Ramírez said that the crackdown on noise is a permanent initiative. He said, “The upset caused by the racket these drivers create, for users of the buses and for others, was unbearable. We will continue with the enforcement along the Costera and on Cuauhtémoc, Constituyentes and Ruiz Cortines, as well as the Calzada Pie de la Cuesta, until we are rid of this social evil.” The plan is to be especially strict in areas near schools and hospitals. “We will not act half-heartedly; we will proceed with a copy of the law in our hands, and with the full support of the citizens.”

The police plan to enforce more than just the ordinance on noise. They have become especially intolerant of reckless driving and other outrageous behavior of the city bus drivers ever since last Tuesday, when a mother and her baby were struck by a bus. In the police operation called “Safe Passenger,” law enforcement takes special measures to protect the public from bus accidents and robberies of passengers.

In a press conference, Añorve said that he had “closed the chapter” on the electoral stage and was opening a chapter called “permanent work in Acapulco.” The PRI is challenging the election, although the prospects for reversing the outcome seem virtually nil. “The competition has ended, the process continues in its course, and I have decided to return to take up the job as constitutional president of Acapulco,” said Añorve. He added that it was his responsibility and duty to do so, and that he has the “will and enthusiasm” to do it. The former candidate has in no wise conceded the election to his opponent, Ángel Aguirre Rivero.

Añorve thanked the 512,000 voters who gave him their preference on Election Day, including 110,000 from Acapulco.

Now they have run out of money. The official explanation is that delays on the ground have caused a need for funds from the budget for 2011 instead of the one for 2010. Officials say that it will take up to three months to get funds flowing again. A cynical public assumes that bureaucrats and politicians plundered the project so badly that no money was left over for all the concrete and steel required. The money may not have been stolen, however; it may just have been diverted to projects elsewhere, which had been delayed by cost overruns. Presumably when funds start flowing again, some other project will come up short.

Meanwhile, citizens are fed up with the tortoise-like pace of the project. One taxi driver, who must go through this section several times in a day, said that the SCT [highway department] tears up the roads, “and instead of generating benefits, just creates problems and traffic for the whole city, each time they fail to stay on the established critical path.” He asked for the federal government to demand the rapid completion or else restore the roads to the way they were before.

In eight months, the construction company has managed to erect most of the columns of the elevated roadway and some of the beams for the road itself. But during rainy season the whole area is expected to be a muddy mess, potentially stopping both the construction and the traffic.

Business people point to two other positive factors that portend well for February in Acapulco. One is the “Habla Bien de Aca” (Speak Well of Aca) campaign, promoted by FIDETUR, which has started to take hold among nightclubs, bars and restaurants. The other is the “saldo blanco” (“clean record”) for the elections last Sunday. The fact that there were no incidents of violence and that the outcome was accepted in peace by all, speaks well for the larger society of Acapulco, and helps clarify that the recent violence was restricted to a small number of delinquents.

One of the businessmen interviewed was Alfonso Patiño Anaya, who is launching “El Cielo,” a restaurant-bar on the Escénica, in the space formerly occupied by “Zuntra,” next to the Kookaburra restaurant. He said that everything is looking very good for his opening, with high hotel occupancy and a long weekend with many guests in town. He reiterated that the “Speak Well of Aca” campaign seems to be having a positive impact, and that almost all of the discos and bars seem to be on board with it. Hotel association leader Javier Saldívar Rodríguez, estimates that occupancy should rise to about 70% on Saturday night. He hoped the traffic police will leave them alone, “because there are many complaints against them, and for that reason, we want to ask the mayor to oversee the good treatment of our visitors, so that they will return.” Commuter airline Aeromar will double its flights on Friday and Monday to and from Mexico City.

In Mexico, Candelaria is a traditional opportunity to eat tamales and drink atoles, offered by whoever it was that was lucky enough to receive the “muñeco” or small figurine of Jesus in the “rosca” or fruit bread wreath that was consumed on January 6, Three Kings Day. Tamales and atoles are symbols, to remind people of humility. In indigenous communities, today is the official beginning of the agricultural year, and often the people would bring their corncobs to be blessed, as they would be the seed for planting the next crop. In Acapulco tonight, most families will sit down to drink their atoles (or hot chocolate) and eat their tamales.

Canadian tourism continues to flourish in Acapulco with three weekly charter arrivals from Montreal and Toronto. Chartered aircraft passenger capacity averages 168.

Meanwhile, Acapulco’s Port Authority took pains to refute reports, made by a local tour guide organization, that cruise ship arrivals will drop off this year because of fears of violence, bad service and high fees. In 2010, 138 ships arrived in port. The director of the port authority, Octavio González Flores, said that in 2011 the number should be about the same. He admitted that some shipping companies have taken Acapulco off their itineraries (Mariner of the Seas, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Star), but it was, according to González Flores, “for reasons of increases in the cost of fuel and a drop in demand for destinations in the North Pacific coast.” They had announced their decisions well in advance. “In the case of Norwegian Star, they gave us three years’ notice,” he said. At the same time, new cruise ships have taken their place, like the Mexican cruise line “Ocean Star.” He said that tourists are unaffected by violence in the poor suburbs, which are miles away from the port. During the 2009-10 season, according to the Port Authority Director, 250,000 passengers came through the marine terminal, with only 10 reported incidents of a robbery or other security problem, and “7 of these were suffered by passengers of one ship, the Carnival Spirit, the only boat arriving at 1:00 am.”

The tour guides had also claimed that the drop in cruise ship arrivals was due to poor services in the port from the Port Authority. Director González Flores denied the charge. We do not allow the ships to jettison their garbage or oil in the port, because it would saturate the city’s drainage system; but we are not the only port to impose that restriction. He also said that Acapulco’s system of fees for the cruise ships is similar to those of other ports. “If the ships leave by 5:00 pm instead of much later, it is not to save money on fees. We have no time limit on when they can leave. If they leave the port, it is because they have planned the departure for that hour in their itineraries,” he clarified.

When asked if Añorve would be returning to the mayor’s post and if there would be “restructuring” within the municipal administration, Robles Blanquet avoided an answer. He said that the mayor, José Luis Ávila Sánchez, would be the person to ask about any possible changes in personnel. Since Sunday’s election, the city government has been officially silent with respect to the outcome.

The national leader of the PRI, Beatriz Paredes, announced that at the request of candidate Manuel Añorve Baños, the party is putting together its best arguments to contest the election in Guerrero. The complaints will include the usual violations of the election law: vote buying, sabotage of the opposing party’s publicity, and intimidation. A central feature will be the “defamations” of the last days of the campaign, when rumors circulated about Añorve’s connection with organized crime and drug money. She complained again about the “unnatural” alliance of the PRD, PAN and Convergencia against the PRI.

The governor of the State of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto and vocal supporter of Añorve, distanced himself from the militant stance of the party chieftans. He said, “In a democracy, you win and you lose. I celebrate and applaud [the process]. I congratulate the winner of this contest, and I especially congratulate the people of Guerrero, for the civility with which they participated in Election Day.” He added that the most important value in a democracy is respect for the outcomes of elections. He expressed confidence that next July 3, the elections in the State of Mexico will show that the PRI has emerged victorious again, even if they have to face a PRD-PAN alliance. The lesson he drew from the Guerrero elections is that the PRI should be more inclusive and united. After all, it was a dissident member of the PRI who won the election, ironically.

In a related announcement, Ángel Aguirre announced that he would surely invite his former opponent, Manuel Añorve Baños, to join in the effort to govern the people of Guerrero, in a frank, cordial and healthy relationship. He expressed a willingness to consider campaign proposals made by Añorve as part of a plan for the new administration. The two are first cousins, friends from youth, and political allies from Aguirre’s days in the PRI. Aguirre is the godfather of Añorve’s son. Though the campaign surely was acrimonious, Aguirre, at least, is prepared to mend fences. Aguirre indicated that Añorve will be returning to his elected position of mayor of Acapulco, and in that capacity will have to work very closely with the new state governor.

Musical director and Maestro Eduardo Álvarez will conduct the philharmonic and will hold an informal chat with the audience prior to the concert, starting at 8:30. Tickets are free and can be obtained online at http://www.filarmonicadeacapulco.org.mx/ or at the OFA Offices at Av. Cristóbal Colón 100, Suite 402, Plaza Bombay, Costa Azul, Acapulco. Admission without a ticket is permitted on a space available basis.

The authority for compiling election results is a division of the Guerrero State Election Institute called “PREP” (“program of preliminary election results” by its Spanish acronym). The raw vote count at the time of the announcement in the early hours of the day was 636,991 for Aguirre and 482,463 for Añorve. The final results should be confirmed and certified on Wednesday, when the 28 electoral districts officially report in. Preliminary results showed that Aguirre carried 26 out of 28.

Turnout was unexpectedly heavy, at 50%, a factor that evidently favored Aguirre’s campaign. The usual explanation of why that should be goes back to the last century, during the days of the PRI monopoly in Mexican politics. The only way to vote against the PRI was to abstain. Thus, higher turnout usually favors candidates in opposition to the historically institutional party.

The “PREP” confirmed that Aguirre had surpassed the number of votes cast in 2005 for then-candidate Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, also of the PRD.

Overall, Election Day went very smoothly with few glitches in the operation of the polling places. Voters were peaceful, although authorities admitted that the inevitable disputes, intimidation and confrontations between party operatives still took place. Acapulco was responsible for most disturbances, but vote buyers were arrested in the Costa Chica. In the pueblos of the mountains and in Tierra Caliente the main problems were the tunimely set up of the voting places and errors in the final voter lists. The authorities received 122 official complaints of election law violations.

Añorve has not yet issued a public statement about the election. The head of the PRI’s National Committee, Beatriz Paredes Rangel, said that her party was faced with an “unnatural” coalition (meaning a mix of the left and the right), which was the product of “disloyalties.” PRI militant Senator Fernando Castro Trenti said that the party would try to annul the election because of “irregularities.”

The "irregularites" cited in formal complaints, however, appear to implicate PRI supporters more than any others. A third episode of a false newspaper front page occurred in Chilpancingo, where the front page announced that former presidential candidate López Obrador (PRD) advised against voting for Aguirre. It also showed misleading instructions on how to fill out a ballot. The result would be nullification. In Acapulco, groups of youths hovered around some of the polling places, intimidating and threatening citizens, trying to suppress the vote. Some openly carried firearms. In Egido they beat up a PRD sympathizer. Instead of their traditional black t-shirts, they donned purple and circulated in vehicles with no license plates. They wore black ribbons tied to their wrists. According to Octavio Santiago Dionicio, a crusader for social reform and a PRD enthusiast, they were brought to Egido by César Flores Maldonado, a former PRI senator. Allegedly the PRI offered the men “four new tires and free lunch in the bus station.” Aguirre’s house in Costa Azul was reportedly attacked by armed men, who kidnapped four persons and left five others wounded. In Zihuatanejo, a PRD sympathizer was beaten with an iron rod by a group of unidentified youths. Isolated incidents of vote buying and ballot box theft also resulted in complaints.

The promotional activity will be coordinated with the state and federal tourism promotion agencies and the Trust for Tourism Promotion in Acapulco (Fidetur) as well as the association of hoteliers, which worked to develop this market niche. Recovery will be gradual. According to Ms. García, last year at least 8,000 students visited Acapulco. This year, the number is expected to be 4,000 or less. Last year an ad campaign on MTV helped boost attendance. The cost was reportedly US$100,000, or approximately $200 pesos per visiting student.

Mexico-source tourism, on the other hand, is up in Acapulco by approximately 15%, and the long weekends approaching (February 5-7 and March 19-21) are promising. The Mexican Open Tennis Tournament will also bring people to the port city; so will the annual Tourism Fair, which comes before Holy Week.

The interrogation of the witness by the Attorney General’s office was said to have taken place last November 26. The witness, named “Mateo,” is said to have placed 5 of the $15 million “in his hands” last summer. He said the money was in $20 bills and filled 7 or 8 file boxes. According to the official document leaked to the press, drug organization kingpin Hector Beltrán Leyva was in attendance at this meeting, which took place in a luxurious suburb of Mexico City in June or July.

This same witness has been responsible for the arrests of a number of high government officials now accused of signing on with the drug gangs, including the head of the maximum security prison known as Altiplano and two former regional directors of Mexico´s FBI (called AFI). The witness also has implicated Añorve and Acapulco’s Public Safety Director, General Salinas Altés, in receiving bribes to permit “La Barbie” (Edgar Valdéz) freely to operate dance clubs in Acapulco without having to comply with the usual paperwork. Additionally, according to the accusations, local police were assigned to help the Beltrán syndicate transport and distribute cocaine.

For his part, candidate Añorve went directly to Mexico City to demand a retraction from the federal attorney general, saying that the defamation was politically inspired. “I must defend the honor of my name and family … against damaging rumors. I told you that there would be a dirty war against my person, and I have the impression that the PAN and PRD are behind this.” At the Attorney General’s office he met with the coordinator for the Southeast Region, who assured him that there is no investigation against him. In a short communication on the Internet page of the Attorney General’s office, said that the accusations made by La Reforma were “reporters’ versions” and denied that any leaks had occurred. Further, the note said that testimony by protected witnesses is not worthy of credit unless supported by other elements of proof. The announcement ended by saying that Miguel Añorve Baños has not been cited by the Attorney General’s Office.

The situation in Acapulco is muddier. Proprietors of convenience stores say that the “official” word is to close from 8:00 pm on Saturday until 8:00 pm on Sunday, Election Day. Some plan to start selling beer and wine at 6:00 pm because that is when the polls close, and “there’s no reason to take business away from us after the voting is over.” They add that this is a payday weekend, and the loss of sales from Saturday night and all day Sunday will be a severe economic blow.

Confusion is perhaps worse in Acapulco now. Last September, Jessica García, the local Secretary of Tourism, announced a “Dry Law” on the bicentennial celebration of Mexico’s independence. She had evidently confused holidays with election days. Even though the Mayor quickly corrected the gaffe and reassured Acapulqueños that it was OK to buy alcohol on Independence Day, the damage was done. Stores, bars and restaurants lost money because they closed on September 16, in the middle of one of the busiest long weekends of the year. One store manager recalled, “I couldn’t believe it. Acapulco is a tourist town! How can you impose a dry law on a national holiday, especially if you are the Secretary of Tourism?

In 2008 Acapulco went through the same throes with the Election Day dry law. Then the law was different for the tourist zone from the rest of the city and municipality. Everywhere other than in the tourist zone, sales were prohibited after 7:00 pm on the night before the polls opened, and continued until 7:00 pm on Sunday, an hour after the polls closed. In the tourist zone, drinking and buying alcohol was permitted until 11:00 pm on the night before. On a voting day in 2009, Acapulco’s measure went into effect at 00:01 on the day of voting, and ended at 23:59 on the same day. It is small wonder that no one seems to know what the official position is, inventing instead a position of their own.

In all, there are 2,427,938 enrolled voters in the state; polling places will number 4,895. The ballots are of paper; voting machines are not used. Each ballot shows the name of each candidate, and a large box with the party’s logo in the color associated with each. The voter is to place a large “X” in the box of his or her preference. It is neither required nor necessary to know how to read or write in order to vote. Pundits say that in Guerrero, as in the old days of Chicago, it is not even necessary to have a pulse.

In spite of three months of frenetic campaigns and lavish expenditures on political propaganda, turnout is expected to by light by US standards, at perhaps less than 30%. Many citizens are apathetic, ignorant of the process, or alienated by it. A majority do not want to spend their only day off standing in long lines just to vote. They figure the election is rigged, or the ballot box will be stuffed, stolen or burned anyway. Some will be scared away from the polls by threats of violence. In a system where votes can be purchased, gangs of political zealots try to suppress voting by others, so as not to dilute the impact of bought votes.

New technologies have made it easier to buy votes than ever before. Instead of purchasing the use of someone’s election credential, now all they need to do is promise to pay upon proof that the vote was cast for the right person. How do you prove it? Take a picture of your ballot with your cell phone before folding it and depositing it in the urn. For that reason, in this election cell phones and cameras are outlawed at the polls. This is unlikely to deter anyone; cell phones are also outlawed in banks and concerts, and virtually no one pays any attention to the rule.

The Guerrero Elections Institute (IEEG) has warned that violators will be punished severely this time; however, most veterans recognize that there is little that can be done other than to disqualify the winning candidate, a move considered unthinkable. The rival groups had from November 3 to January 26, today, to make their pitch to the electorate. According to the IEEG, “whatever they could do, they have done, and therefore we ask them to respect the law, which says that today is the last day of campaigning.”

Candidate Añorve’s reaction to the announcement noted the unusual situation in which both the right and the left have joined in opposition to him: “This alliance is a hideous monstrosity of [conflicting] interests, which only serve to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation [to Aguirre’s campaign]. It confirms to me that I shall be the next governor of the state.”

The revelation was made last night at a press briefing in an Acapulco hotel. Aguirre made the announcement, saying that he had invited Marcos Parra to join with him in the campaign and that he will work towards the proposals made by Parra during his run for the top state office. Parra said that this decision was the most reasonable and practical one to see his policies implemented by the next governor of Guerrero.

The purpose of the dry law is to discourage violent outbreaks on Election Day, in the belief that party zealots are less likely to violate the election laws if they have not been drinking. The law is less concerned with making sure everyone casting a ballot is sober. That is why it goes into effect 10 hours before the polls open.

The dry law is controversial in Acapulco because it affects tourism on a Sunday during high season. Tourists are often unaware that it is Election Day, as they mostly come from other states or countries. Nevertheless, they cannot have alcohol on the beach, and the many beach bars and restaurants just close for what would otherwise be a good day for sales in the winter vacation season. Another criticism is that the law is stupid: anyone who cares to drink during the 24 hours of the dry law just needs to stock up in advance. The legislative purpose of the rule is thus achieved only in the case of the ignorant, lazy or apathetic. Finally, many stores and bars actually close earlier than the legal deadline or stay closed until much later than the law requires. This is to avoid visits from the local police, who, when checking for compliance, often threaten to impose a fine – whether or not there is an infraction – just to receive a bribe to go away. During the last election, for example, most convenience stores stopped selling beer at 6:00 pm on Saturday, or even earlier. Many said it was just to keep from having to deal with the police. This year, a few locals have been predicting that the dry law will go into effect much earlier on Saturday. Whether this is reliable information or mere rumor, drinkers are well-advised to stock up on their favorite beverages by next Friday, just to avoid disappointment if their customary outlets close early on Saturday.

The mayor said that the threatening phone calls have been attributed to “members of a political party,” which he identified as the PRD. “We have asked the parties not to make a political issue out of water,” he said. This is in spite of the fact that his former boss, Manuel Añorve, used potable water and the reform of CAPAMA as his main campaign promise in 2008, when he ran for mayor.

The tactic, said the mayor, is to open valves to increase water pressure beyond the tolerance of the pipeline, causing leaks. ”Only current or former CAPAMA employees would know how to do it,” he said.

According to the two business groups, the average hotel occupancy in Acapulco was 48% in 2010, about the same as in 2009, showing stagnation in the state’s main economic activity. They made biting criticisms of the local, state and federal authorities who are charged with conducting tourism promotion nationally and internationally. The tourism business leaders said that promotional activity was practically nil for this year’s high seasons. They ask that the newly elected leaders have the “political will” to install tourism professionals rather than political cronies in the key positions. A continual source of friction is the statistical reporting. According to the private sector, the public numbers are manipulated to show that public policies and bureaucrats are working, when the opposite is true. “Surely they want us to give them pleasant statistics, where it says we were at 100 percent, but we only got 40% from the Canadians, and Spring Break this year is not happening, to say nothing of the cruise ships, which will drop off by 60% in the next season.” Cedano Galera, a tourism executive said, “We need people with moral qualities who can make Acapulco and Guerrero into competitive destinations. The problem is that the area is uncompetitive. It’s the most important economic activity in the state, and even though people are still dying in this state from extreme poverty, [officials] have not engendered a prosperous and dynamic industry that reflects the benefits of development towards the marginalized places in the state.” By “moral qualities” it is presumed to mean the ability to apply the budget to the purposes for which intended rather than making contracts with people unable to perform, just because the kickbacks are higher.

Before the march down Cuauhtémoc from Parque Papagayo to the Zócalo, hundreds of supporters gathered to receive election “swag,” like hats, t-shirts, balloons, and even depilatory crème, “Just for Women.” The Costera had been closed at the Zócalo since the day before, in readiness for the event. Part of the confusion was caused by Añorve’s supporters who tried to foil the march by roping off the route, closing it to all comers. They were unsuccessful; however, the candidate and invited dignitaries had to hurry through side streets to catch up with the parade, which had already started.

PAN candidate Marcos Efrén Parra closed the Acapulco leg of his campaign in the downtown area, where 1,500 or so supporters marched in the streets. By far the heaviest disruptions came from the over 30,000 enthusiasts of the PRD coalition candidate, Ángel Aguirre.

Things started to go bad around 9:00 am. The main travel routes in town were completely closed off by traffic police until 6:00 pm. Drivers were sent over alternate routes and side streets. Many were simply stuck in the traffic for an unlimited time. Many abandoned their cars temporarily, contributing even more confusion to the gridlock. Walking was the only way to get anywhere for most of the day. A good many drivers said they were tired of politicians and campaigns. One said, “We citizens are tired of the politicians who do whatever they want, closing the main roads for their own benefit. The ones affected are we who get trapped here, suffering the heat and desperation.”

The gangs operate mainly in elementary and secondary schools in their neighborhoods, assaulting students and holding up anyone walking on the streets. They have adopted names like “Los Sur 13,” “Los Garrobos” (Iguanas), “Zapata 18” and “Los Galeanos.” According to mothers of students, the conflicts between rival gangs affect many innocent kids because the gang members really have no concern for who is hurt or killed during their confrontations. Parents feel that both the school system and the local police have been ignoring the problem. Gang threats appear to be the main cause of absenteeism in the secondary schools in the affected neighborhoods.

Novedades Acapulco points out that the gang phenomenon among teenagers in poor communities is the result of family disintegration, deprivation, domestic violence and other local social problems. “When you don’t have much to live for, you do what you need to do to be accepted. You use drugs, carry weapons, and die if you have to,” said psychologist Alberto Martínez Flores, who is studying the gang phenomenon.

PRI coalition campaign workers cried foul and threatened to take the matter to Guerrero’s Election Institute. Aguirre responded that it is not a violation of election laws for political parties to send operatives from other states to help in the election; and if it were, the PRI is doubly in violation, as the embattled Senator Fernando Castro Trenti had sent more than 200 loyalists from Tijuana to help Añorve. Trenti occupies a position in the federal Senate roughly equivalent to Majority Whip. Aguirre declared that the mastermind behind the PRI’s “dirty war” is not Trenti, but rather his “boss,” majority leader Senator Manlio Fabio Beltrones Rivera, who has planned tactics that violate the very election law “that he himself sponsored several years ago.”

Aguirre pointed out that the recording of cell phone conversations without the knowledge or consent of one of the parties is a crime in Mexico, and that it is the PRI and not the PRD that is engaged in illegal election tactics. The candidate did not say whether his campaign would file a complaint with the IEEG, but did call upon the authorities to investigate the matter.

Trenti was also asked about the bold assertion two days ago by the PRI’s IEEG representative, Roberto Torres. Torres blamed the “dirty trick” of the false front page of the Jornada Guerrero on a director of the newspaper itself, former mayor Felix Salgado Macedonio. When asked why the newspaper would counterfeit its own publication and try to damage the candidate they formally endorse, Trenti staunchly argued that it was a “reverse dirty trick,” done just to cause trouble and make people think the PRI violates the election laws. He added that, during the debate, Añorve accused Salgado’s administration as having bankrupted CAPAMA, the hapless local water utility. He said, “Perhaps, Felix Salgado was so upset at that moment that he did that.” Why Salgado’s revenge against Añorve would take the form of hurting his opponent was a logical link the senator did not make.

The certification flights for turbines, pilots and cabin crew thus bode well for a return of Mexicana, and with it, an increase in daily frequencies into Acapulco’s International Airport. Approximately 90 pilots will be re-certified this month. Other preparatory arrangements include flight simulator time, drills on evacuation, water landings, and the certification of ground operations. Cancun and Guadalajara will be the first stations to pass through the process.

One of the reasons cited for the plummet in cruise ship traffic was the “lack of safety” for passengers. While recent news reports have been unkind to Acapulco, in fact the reported violence has occurred far from the tourist areas; on the other hand, the increase in security forces within the city has resulted in more security for passengers, not less. The cruise ship companies have not said that demand has fallen because of the image; rather, they cite the need to ensure the safety of passengers as an operational objective. One company said that this year “at least one passenger” had been robbed or assaulted, but no details were provided, and the claim cannot be confirmed. Local service providers agree that there is about one robbery of a passenger for every three or four cruise ship arrivals.

The more compelling reason behind the drop in traffic comes from the increase in dock fees, some of the highest on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, and alleged by operators to be among the highest in the world. On the other hand, the service level provided by the Marine Terminal, which is operated by the Port Authority, is judged “low” or “inadequate” by cruise ship operators, especially with respect to the disposal of garbage.

Carnival Spirit had 26 arrivals in the current season, and is threatening to cancel them all. The company’s official position is that security is the problem, not the fees or the services. In the current season (July 2010 to June 2011), a total of 110 cruise ships are expected to have arrived at the marine terminal. Next year it looks like the number will be 60 or fewer.

Press reports do not disclose whether PRI representative Torres really expected the public to believe him when he accused the victims of committing the crime. He may have just been grasping for anything to say in the face of presumptive criminal conduct by the campaign he represents. If he was sincerely hoping that the voters would point their fingers at his adversaries for “shooting themselves in the foot,” his assessment of the intelligence of the public is alarmingly low, even for a politician in the midst of a campaign.

The parents placed protest posters at the entrances of the state offices, demanding that the local bureaucrat in charge, Alfred Bello Salmerón, listen to them and do something about it. Their complaints have gone unanswered for months, so the parents finally decided to occupy the building, demanding an interview with the authorities. They waited from 5:00 am until nearly noon, and no official had spoken with them.

Guerrero, one of the poorest of Mexico’s states, also has the most dysfunctional educational system, in which underpaid teachers spend most of the year fighting with politically-protected bureaucrats about labor “rights,” while the students miss out on their education.

In related stories, the labor union of professors of the Autonomous University of Guerrero, a part of Mexico’s public university system, has declared a strike again, threatening to leave students without classes for yet another period. The strike call also affects the secondary schools operated by UAG. The deadline is January 28. Negotiations broke off for the usual reasons, some of which relate to pay and benefits, and others to whether certain dissident groups shall be present in the negotiations.

Meanwhile, some of the students seem headed for trouble. Yesterday, 62 students in the UAG secondary school program were detained by police for starting a fight on board a city bus from Vacacional into town. The police confiscated machetes, knives, daggers and box cutters. The 29 girls and 33 boys were taken to the main police station around 9 am. One group was from the gang called “Mouse” (at Prep School 17) and the other from a gang called “Los Chicanos” (at Prep School 27).

Simultaneous distributions were made in Acapulco, Chilpancingo, Iguala, Taxco and Costa Grande. A video about the phony newspaper has been uploaded to http://www.agoraguerrero.com showing the red Chevy and the perpetrators distributing the papers around 1 am in the center of Acapulco.

The newspaper has called for a criminal investigation and is preparing legal action against the perpetrators. Other than the fake lead story, the front page is a clone of the publication’s January 9 edition. In the 2008 election for mayor of Acapulco, a similar stunt was tried, also in favor of then-candidate Manuel Añorve. On that occasion the false newspaper was El Sur, and it announced that opposition candidate Luis Walton had withdrawn from his campaign.

Not surprisingly, candidate Añorve is careful to distance himself from any such “dirty tricks.” He said, “This is something that needs to be investigated to the bottom.” When asked by the press what role his campaign played in the distribution of the false newspaper, Añorve replied, “No, we had nothing to do with it. This is the first we have heard about it. I do not know anything yet, and I have not even had a copy in my hands.” When asked his opinion, Añorve said “I have no knowledge of the incident and it should be fully investigated.”

Candidate Aguirre, on the other hand, said the phony newspaper story was another example of the “dirty war” being waged by the PRI and his opponent, Añorve Baños.

It was former PRD mayor Alberto López Rosas who recalled that the Añorve campaign had been accused of the same tactic in 2008, three days before the election of mayor, when Luis Walton of Convergencia was the principal opponent.

The national leader of the PRD, Jesús Ortega Martínez, discredited the strategy of false news publications as “grotesque and ridiculous strategies used by the PRI to hijack the election in Guerrero next January 30.” He said the crude imitation was pathetic, but that the crime was serious. He said that the Añorve team is desperate because they are 7 points behind in the polls.

Ávila Sánchez added that in February– after the elections – Acapulco will launch a new promotional campaign targeted at tourists in Mexico City. The city and state have both been criticized by the private sector for not doing enough to counteract the poor image given to Acapulco by reason of all the press reports of violence, even though virtually all incidents take place in poor neighborhoods far away from the tourist areas. José Cedano Galera, president of the College of Tourism Professionals pointed out that the head of the state tourism office is a political appointee with no background in tourism. The same criticism has been leveled at those holding federal and municipal positions of the same nature.

The four topics set for the debate were “Society, Economy, Government and Reform of the State.” In fact, little was “debated” in the traditional sense; both main candidates are veterans of the PRI, which typically avoids ideological statements. Instead, each candidate took advantage of his air time to repeat campaign promises. The competition was not about principles, but rather to see who could promise the greatest benefits to voters.

Aguirre led off on the subject of society and health, emphasizing the need for domestic tranquility in troubled times. He called for cleaning up the police forces and having better coordination at all levels of government. He mentioned prison reform, better equipment for the police and more community involvement in law enforcement.

Añorve led off with a jab at Aguirre, saying, “I don’t know with whom I am going to debate: the PRI veteran, or the PRD candidate.” Añorve blamed the lack of security in the state on the PRD, because it promised great things and did not come through with them. By contrast, he called himself the man who says “yes to education, to health, to support for women and to the La Parota dam project.”

Marcos Parra of the PAN pointed out that the new government’s mandate will be 4 years and nine months. He said that this is clearly not enough time for his adversaries to keep the lavish promises they make to the electorate. Because he is of the same party as the President of the Republic, Parra said his program will have more cooperation from the federal level. He blamed the mediocre educational system on a tradition of bureaucracy and patronage that must end with the firing of excess and incompetent government functionaries.

During the time for responses and rebuttal on social issues Marcos Parra pointed out once more that all the spending programs promised by his adversaries are unrealistic, considering that the state’s budget for 2011 has already been set in stone.

On the subject of the economy, Aguirre attacked Añorve’s proposals to end the property tax on cars and to give away fertilizer to farmers, which generates a bill of one billion pesos with no hint about where the funds are to come from. He placed his confidence in small business, and said that his administration would help private enterprise. He added that large public works projects, like the tunnel from Icacos to Farralón, will stimulate more private investment in the state.

Añorve boasted his accomplishments as mayor, and said he would stimulate the economy of Guerrero, too: “Yes to La Parota; Yes to regional development; Yes to tourism; Yes to hunting, fishing and the environment.”

The PAN candidate spoke of globalization, and how his administration would create skilled jobs in Guerrero and train the citizens to occupy them, using the educational system to raise the overall level of skilled labor in the state. He added that he would provide opportunities for single mothers to have their own businesses.

On the subject of government-society relations and the responsibilities of public servants, the candidates seemed to be in agreement: Government needed to improve, both in terms of competence and character. Incompetence and corruption had to end. The PRI and PRD candidates blamed each other’s party for the situation and promised that their party would be the solution. The PAN candidate said he would strengthen legislative autonomy, reducing the role of the executive.

On State Reform, Aguirre played the violence card, noting that PRI sympathizers had beaten a PRD leader into a coma. The PRI had been discovered with a document indicating plans for vote suppression, violence and other interference with the outcome of the elections. “They invoke the name of God and then promote electoral violence; Guillermo Sánchez Nava is hanging between life and death. He called for a new constitution in which all peoples, the indigenous peoples, African-Americans, all have the same rights to education and health; all have the same human rights, guaranteed by a tolerant government.”

Añorve said once more that the time has come for “better times for Guerrero.” He would be at the head of an efficient government, respecting citizens’ rights, and working with all levels of government. He sought to help widows, children and the disabled. He said that his administration would bring back “family values.” He said he would clean out nepotism, inefficiency, impunity and corruption.

Marcos Parra said that “Guerrero is one of the least developed states of Mexico. As governor, I guarantee a democratic system with fair administration of justice, social development, care for the environment, health and education.”

The summations were mainly repetitions of campaign promises and catch phrases about securing a bright future for all citizens of Guerrero. Aguirre and Añorve took the opportunity to criticize the other, Aguirre in particular blaming the PRI for the recent acts of violence and the “dirty war.”

Separately, Aguirre and Añorve reassured their followers that they “won” the debate. Marcos Parra, when asked, said, “The people won.”

According to Alberto López Rosas, a local prosecutor and a legal advisor to the Aguirre campaign, the trailer was being “operated” by the Partido Nueva Alianza (or Panal). This small political party is a member of the coalition behind the candidacy of Manuel Añorve Baños. According to neighbors, workers had been unloading the boxes of food stuffs and staples into the house for seven hours when, around 8:00 pm last night, several party officials of the PRD and one from Panal arrived to investigate the incident.

According to López Rosas, the trailer bore license plates from the State of Mexico, and the material was identified as belonging to the DIF in the State of Mexico. No one performing the unloading was able to provide an explanation for the presence of the 40 tons of social relief supplies in Acapulco. According to the party officials who went to the site, the materials could have been stolen, but equally likely they could have been sent by the governor of the State of Mexico, Piña Nieto, an outspoken supporter of Manuel Añorve. In Guerrero elections, it is common for political parties to complain that their opposition has been giving out boxes of food stuffs and basic staples to people in exchange for their voter credentials. The purpose is either vote buying or vote suppression; either way, it is a violation of law. PRD officials are expected to file an official complaint about the incident with the Elections Institute.

The chairman of the committee, Faustino Soto Ramos, told the press that last Friday the mayor had requested an extension of time to appear, stating that he was attending top level meetings in Mexico City on January 20th. The legislature said the request was denied, as they reviewed the mayor’s schedule and determined that this was not true, that he had no previous commitments with “top level” officials in Mexico City. For that reason, the request was denied.

Soto Ramos added that the mayor had not yet provided any of the information requested from him. He rejected the idea that it was rude for the Committee to summon a mayor before it, even though this is the first time such a thing has been tried. The legislator said that we were talking about a debt of over a billion pesos, equal to half the maximum permitted annual budget for the municipality. “And then you add to it an investment in an overpass which, if you compare it with one built by the previous administration, it is twice as expensive and has smaller dimensions.”

The PRI legislators consider the move to be politically motivated, designed to embarrass the Añorve campaign on the eve of the election. The PRD legislators deny it. It is not known whether the mayor will honor the summons or simply fail to appear. As this is a unique request, no precedent exists for what would happen if the mayor failed to show. PRI legislator Héctor Vicario Castrejón said that the maneuver is illegal, and that the mayor should feel free to show up whenever it is convenient for him.

In a related story, a local labor union leader reported that workers in Acapulco’s tourism industry have no confidence that the Spring Break season this year will bring many vacationers to the port city. Rodrigo Ramírez Justo said that the student markets in the US and Canada are “very sensitive to violence.” For that reason, the already very battered “Spring Breaker” season will be worse than ever, he predicts. He, like everyone else involved with tourism in Acapulco, recommended an “aggressive” promotion campaign in the North American cities most likely to generate Spring Break tourism for Acapulco. He also recommends heavier promotion within Mexico, to counteract the efforts of rival destinations. “We got complacent,” he said, “We took for granted that every year the Spring Breakers would come back. But we now realize, in the worst way, that it is not like that. We have to keep promoting just to stay even, and promote even more to get ahead.”

Mextenis organizes the event every year. According to Gordon, “The Mexican Open is an important event for the ATP World Tour. It is one of 11 international events in the 500 category and is the centerpiece of the Latin American tour.” Some countries, however, have issued warnings to their citizens concerning the high risk of visiting Acapulco or Mexico in general. These include: United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Canada. Raúl Zurutuza, event director, emphasized that the contest has always been free of violence. “We are a sporting event, framed within a context that gives certainty and security to the public. . . . We are working with the authorities to have a very calm event, where the people can feel relaxed and safe, enjoying tennis.” As of now, 50 international tennis players have confirmed their participation. No one has cancelled for any reason unrelated to the sport.

The agents will be active through Election Day and will work together with the Federal Investigations Agency (AFI), the equivalent of the FBI in the US. The director of the agency, José Luis Vargas Valdez, said that the role of the federal authorities is to “guarantee calm and confidence on Election Day, so that all citizens can go to the polls and place their ballots.” He assured the public that FEPADE is aware of what is going on in Guerrero.

With respect to the agreement signed last Saturday among police forces to prevent violence on January 30, Vargas Valdez said that FEPADE is just an additional element in the battle against insecurity, and does not have a direct role in preventive police enforcement. “We stand ready to help whenever the respective local authorities ask for our assistance,” he said.

The Guerrero state equivalent of FEPADE, Luis Alberto Montes Salmerón, revealed to the press that he has received 57 complaints against public employees at all three levels of government for violations of the election laws, mainly campaigning for specific candidates while on duty or using public resources in an election. Another infraction is pressuring subordinates to support or work for a specific candidate. Some public officials, especially in areas where the level of education is low, gather all the electoral credentials of their employees and vote them as a batch for a favored candidate. Political parties often pay handsome commissions to officials who “bring in the vote” in such ways.

Interviewed by reporters outside the cathedral, a number of Canadian tourists agreed that Acapulco has improved greatly over the last decade. They discounted reports of violence as a disincentive. One of them said, “That goes on all over. We can’t say that there’s no violence in Canada. Those things happen there, maybe not so often, but we know that nothing bad is likely to happen during our visit. And also, we are already old! Who’s going to bother us?”

Some PRI leaders have questioned whether Sánchez Nava really had been injured, and others said that it was his fault for being the aggressor against the brigade of young men. Senators Fernando Castro Tenti (PRI) and Adolfo Toledo Infanzón (PRI) have been loudly condemned for their statements. The latter said that it was a “self-kidnapping” and was a “smoke screen.”

The hunger strike began yesterday at 8:00 am in Acapulco’s Zocalo. The objective is to demand justice for Sánchez Nava. They want the voters to realize that the PRI is conducting a “dirty war” against the PRD, evidently worried that it will lose the election if people are permitted to vote freely. Hence the PRD leaders seek to call attention to the PRI tactics of vote suppression, intimidation and violence.

One angry activist called upon the election board to cancel the candidacy of Añorve Baños unless his people cooperate with bringing to justice the assailants of the PRD leader. Another alleged that the state attorney general’s office seems to have no interest in pursuing the case, which suggests political favoritism for the PRI candidate.

Separately, in a press conference held by federal representative Porfirio Muñoz Ledo (PT), the legislator called the PRI leaders liars. “An intimidation campaign is going on, and the problem about the case of Guillermo Sánchez Nava is that he was beaten up by PRI thugs. It’s political violence, not organized crime. They were thugs, possibly drugged up, who were sent out there to kill.”

In Tlapa, PRD national chairman Jesús Ortega Martínez said of one of the PRI senators who publicly cast doubt on the veracity of the reported assaults: “Trenti is a swine. . . . He is a savage. He, who is involved in all sorts of shady dealings, doubts that this man is poised between life and death?” He added, “Trenti is one of the Tijuana people. He specializes in that kind of aggression.”

As expected, the PRI has disputed the authenticity of the document, calling it a forgery and a fraud, a “dirty trick” of its own, perpetrated by “Guerrero Unites Us.” This group is comprised of the PRD, Convergencia and the Workers Party in support of Ángel Aguirre Rivero for governor. Opponents of Añorve claim that the document, marked “Confidential” in one corner, is genuine. The Jornada Guerrero, a paper that endorses the PRD candidate, published details of the memo, but did not address the issue of authenticity. Undoubtedly that debate will unfold in ensuing days.

The memo describes a multi-prong action plan. One of them is to simulate violence against the PRI and its supporters to provide cover and to give a basis for claims of foul play against the PRD and its allies. The idea is to show their candidate, Manuel Añorve, is a victim of dirty tricks, not a perpetrator. One such tactic is to announce some minor failure in the candidate’s helicopter, perhaps by sabotage. The failure need not be real, just reported as such. Another is to shoot up the vehicle of one of his family members or of a PRI representative in an urban area. Another is to feign a kidnapping of some party figure, linking the kidnappers to narcotics trafficking and the political opposition, using the politically accommodating Acapulco police command as the source of the disinformation.

Tactics of vote suppression included “accelerating the climate of instability” in Acapulco. Instruction is given to accuse the PRD of being violent. Label it the party of beatings, excessive force and repression. A key feature is to tag Aguirre himself, as a “chieftain and assassin.”

A second prong of the strategy is called “moral exploitation,” which would use the visits of prominent celebrities and politicians supporting the PRI to generate election publicity in media segments where political ads are not permitted. In the same way, the memo advises to publicize any any loss of ground by the PRD, discredit their polling, intimidate the press and other media, fake an attack against a radio station, continue with payoffs to “opinion leaders” on state radio (at least “the eight that are on board,”) and pay off Televisa, which is described as willing to do “whatever the PRI wants for so long as it gets paid.”

The municipal government prong is to have all city spokespersons talk up the virtues of Añorve Baños whenever possible, exploit the “Bicentennial Bridge” achievement, and link to Añorve every visible city project. For incomplete projects and for the failings of CAPAMA, blame the previous two administrations, which were occupied by PRD candidates. The person named as the lead horse on this tactic is the current mayor, José Luis Ávila, identified in the document by his codename,” A-5.”

Other tactics mentioned include creating violence outbreaks against civilian society in areas of opposition strength, with a view to screw down the turnout to less than 40 percent. This will ensure that votes already purchased will be enough to carry the day for the PRI candidate.

The memo also instructs campaign staff to make death threats to voters by anonymous phone calls, firing shots at their homes or crashing into their vehicles. Another tactic is to make false bomb threats and call in fire alarms on the offices of the opposition and the homes of opposition party leaders.

“Special Operations” are to commence two days before the election on January 30 with the recruitment and training of “shock groups” and the use of the “special brigade.” All poll clerks will receive visits. All Aguirre signs will be torn down, and a door-knock campaign will be undertaken to inform ignorant voters that Aguirre is a candidate of the PRI.

The day before the election a checklist of “friendly houses” will be made. Money will be passed to municipal leaders who can round up bought votes. Electoral credentials taken from citizens will be taken to the “friendly houses” so that people can be sent to the polls to vote for the PRI.

Smoke screens are planned for the day of the voting: “To be able to operate, we need to generate a perception that the PRI people are being victimized by Aguirre sympathizers. We dress groups up in Aguirre t-shirts and have them attack PRI groups to suppress voting. We organize groups of lawyers to file law suits throughout the day, and at 4:00 we start a rumor that Aguirre has conceded victory to Añorve.”

Certain actions need to be taken to prevent polling places in areas of Aguirre strength from receiving the ballot boxes. Poll workers will be bribed to prevent ballot boxes from being installed, and at least 250 polling places in Aguirre areas will suffer blockades and confusion, starting at 5 am, to prevent the polls from opening on time and to create long lines, causing voters to be discouraged from voting.

The memo contemplates the purchase of 200,000 votes at an average cost of $1000 pesos each. Groups of Añorve sympathizers will police outside the polling areas and steal the credentials out of the hands of any declared PRD supporter. Local community leaders in areas of PRD strength will be given up to $25,000 pesos not to take their people to the polls to vote for Aguirre.

Pickup truck squads of 10 persons, armed and uniformed, will patrol the polling areas to prevent anyone else from intimidating voters who say they will vote for Añorve. Another tactic is to set fire to 750 ballot boxes at the end of the voting day in areas known to be strong for the PRD.

Finally, at day’s end, the memo establishes that word be spread that Añorve has won and then “eliminate the evidence of the voting. Intercept anyone carrying ballots for Aguirre. Take away and burn the ballots to get rid of all traces.” In the early morning hours after the voting, go to voting places where Aguirre claimed victory and take down their signs or sheets.

Whether the memo is authentic or contrived, it is a virtual instruction manual on how to steal an election in Acapulco. Undoubtedly the two campaigns will exchange many angry words over the next few days concerning “the strategy memo.”

Director of Public Works, Eduardo Iglesias Aragón, said he would personally file criminal complaints against anyone found interfering with CAPAMA’s infrastructure. Even though the water lines are between 30 and 40 years old, he said the problem of the recent leaks is the result of opening the valves to the point where the increased water pressure causes leaks.

This official announcement seems to be another salvo in the credibility battle between the current City Hall and the Añorve gubernatorial campaign on the one hand, and their political opponents and rivals on the other. The PRD-controlled state legislature has summoned the mayor to account for the expenditures on the bicentennial overpass and for the several post-inauguration repairs that closed it down for brief periods. Sabotage would be an effective defensive posture, if the mayor could make it believable. CAPAMA, on the other hand, has been in the daily newspapers for years for its leaky system, which seems to defy repair and almost always denies water service to at least some neighborhoods in the city. The mayor provided no evidence of sabotage other than his logical deduction, and he did not explain how outsiders could have access to the water system’s main valves. Until January 30, virtually every official pronouncement is susceptible to interpretation according to electoral politics

The reporter made a complaint to the regional human rights commission, delivering the nine-minute video documenting the incident. Other journalists have joined their colleague in the complaint because they, too, were accosted and assaulted by the presumed security personnel at Añorve’s rally. Reportedly Bernardino Hernández was pistol-whipped by the body guards. A few videos taken at the scene have been placed on YouTube.

The reporters accuse Añorve’s press director, whose last name is Valle, for being the source of the problem. They assert that he commanded the bodyguards of the visiting governor not to allow any photographs by any reporters of any of the capsized sound and light tower or of the bloody injuries that resulted from within the crowd. They assert that the Añorve campaign wanted to hide the accident and the injuries from the press and the public.

The president of the Guerrero State Electoral Institute, César Ramos Castro, commented that the members of the council are all appalled by what happened to Sánchez Nava, who, after all, is one of their members. They called upon the authorities to punish those responsible. The PRD must name a substitute for its fallen representative.

Meanwhile, the president of the PRI in Guerrero announced, “I completely separate myself from any violent attitude assumed by Manuel Añorve’s people, because that is a question of personal character.” Thus Efrén Leyva Acevedo started damage control as a result of the incident. “Due to these events, we will evaluate whether or not Añorve should attend the televised TV debate scheduled for next January 18 at 10:00 p.m.” He repeated, “I distance the PRI from the aggression that the representative of the [opposing] coalition before the IEEG has suffered.” He also asserted that “violent acts are alien to Añorve Baños; violent acts are alien to the PRI; there can be no doubt about any of that.”

The victim was discovered by Urbano Lucas Santamría, the director of Human Rights for the PRD, who rushed Sánchez Nava to the hospital. He was listed in serious condition with internal bleeding and serious head injuries. He was then transferred to Mexico City under doctor’s orders.

The Añorve campaign lamented the incident and insisted that the delinquents were operating on their own and not in accordance with any instruction or supervision from the campaign itself.

The questions of the legislators touch on three issues: Critics of Añorve have accused the project of generating a good bit of cash for his gubernatorial campaign. Thus, they want to delve into the budget for the project and how it was spent. Second, critics also believe that the timing of the project was purposeful to aid the Añorve campaign. Funds originally committed to other projects were hurriedly diverted to the “Bicentennial Overpass” because of its visibility. Finally, the project was hurried to completion, and since then the roadway has had to undergo repairs, some of which shut down all lanes for many hours. Some legislators suspect that the quality of construction was damaged because of the haste or because of the need to cut corners in order to siphon off money for other purposes.

The mayor has agreed to appear, together with the papers relating to recent audits of the project. The PRD, opposing party to the Añorve campaign, has the votes to impose its will on the legislature, thus explaining the unusual summons. One PRI legislator said that it has the smell of an election tactic, “which stinks.” The PRD politicians say the same thing about the whole “overpass to nowhere” project.

On the other hand, many of those interviewed regarded the Army and Navy as more reliable in the struggles against organized crime. The difference is that the police are widely believed to have been infiltrated by the organized crime groups themselves, so that delinquents are generally tipped off when the police will be making a raid of any kind. Police salaries are generally low (around US$500 per month), which, it is said, leads officers to engage in petty corruption just to make ends meet. Drug groups have more difficulty in penetrating the military, at least at command levels, and the soldiers and sailors are less in need of extra money, being in a barracks environment.

Of the three main political parties, the PAN has been the only one in favor of using the military to fight organized crime and drug trafficking in Mexico. It is the rightist party of President Calderón. PAN politicians accuse the PRI (and to a lesser extent, the PRD) of having made “accommodations” with the drug gangs, which of course the other parties roundly deny. In spite of that, the PAN’s critics are heard to say that if the PRI (or PRD) could just get into power, the drug gangs could go back to “business as usual” and things would be calm again.

Those interviewed all reported anxieties about going out late at night in the poorer neighborhoods, where most of the gang violence takes place. The hours from midnight to five in the morning are thought to be especially perilous.

Shortly after the agreement was signed in Mexico City, officials at all three levels of government held a meeting in Acapulco to coordinate their respective tasks concerning crime prevention and enforcement.

In a separate press conference, Alejandro Poiré, technical secretary of Mexico’s National Security Council, also decried the violence in communities surrounding Acapulco during the last few days, and expressed the opinion that part of the blame should rest with the state and local law enforcement agencies, which typically do nothing to prevent it or to capture those responsible. He acknowledged that the violence is the result of turf battles between competing drug gangs, but lamented that local law enforcement takes no action against it. For that reason, he affirmed that the federal police and military need to take a leading role in the fight against organized crime. Most of the murders last weekend were accompanied by “drug posters” claiming responsibility by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Poiré recalled that the federal Attorney General made a list of the 37 most wanted drug leaders in 2009. Of the names on that list, the federal government has resolved over half, either by death or arrest. In the last half of 2010 the number of deaths associated with narcotics criminals dropped noticeably as compared with the first half of the year. Shortly the federal government will issue its report on violent crimes in 2010. Poiré commented that it will show that Chihuahua accounts for 30% of the total, and Sinaloa and Tamaulipas together add another 20%.

Departing tourists speaking to the press frequently mentioned the main attractions of Acapulco: the sun, the warmth and the sand. Most also mentioned the sunsets, but several said they did not go out at night because of the “security issue” and because they came to Acapulco to rest and relax. A few mentioned that the hordes of beach vendors hurt the sense of tranquility a visitor has while sunning on the beach. Once again, La Quebrada and Pie de la Cuesta (for the sunsets) were popular objectives over the holidays.

When asked by reporters, taxi drivers relied that the vacation time was “weak.” “It seems like it gets less and less every year,” said a veteran of 22 years at the Estrella Blanca taxi stand.

Under the new rules, the parents, and not the schools, will be responsible for making sure the shops and cafeterias do not sell junk food to the kids. This appears to have been a political compromise, as the food and beverage service in the schools is a concession, often granted by local administrators. If the parents have an interest in their kids’ diet, they can make sure the food services follow the rules.

The sad reality is that parents of school children seem, on the whole, to be indifferent to what goes on in the schools. According to the Secretary of Education, 30% of all schools are lacking any sort of parent-teacher organization (called literally “a School Council for Social Participation”). This is the group that would check on the junk food supply problem. In some states, more than half of all schools have no such parent group. Under the new regulations, a “School Consumption Committee” of the parent-teacher organization is directed to review all food and drink offerings. The rules specify that this group be composed of 5 persons, parents of school children, and that they meet at least once per month.

All contracts with food and drink concessionaires in the school system will contain, as of today, a clause that imposes the junk food guidelines. If the supplier does not comply, the contract can be rescinded; however, compliance will be documented by parent groups, not by the schools themselves.

Most of the drug murders take place between 4 am and sunrise. Fifteen were attributed to one incident, in Coloso. Six more were found murdered in Renacimiento. Virtually all of them were young men between 17 and 30. The remainder were scattered around other locations. Four murders were reported in Acapulco itself, as opposed to the outlying communities: two were victims of a shooting in a cantina in one of the rougher neighborhoods on the edge of the town center; two policemen were killed near the Costera. The first of these incidents is not thought to be part of organized crime, but rather the result of a bar fight. The second is widely regarded as a drug “execution” when informants for one drug gang identify police who have allied themselves with a competing group.

At the same time, the city buses on the Maxitunel routes will start charging $5.50 pesos, a 10% increase from the current fare of $5 pesos. The increase from $4.5 to $5 went into effect barely a year ago. Naturally, all other buses will quickly follow suit.

At the press conference the governor was also asked if he was aware that a large, state-owned, armored SUV with official markings is being used in the Añorve campaign under a formal leasing arrangement with Héctor Astudillo Flores, the mayor of Chilpancingo. The governor adroitly ducked the question, saying that he has seen no proof of the allegation.

The concept of “cultural tourism” is to provide an alternative to sun worship, thus attracting tourists more steadily throughout the year and not just at vacation times. The concept was implemented in Taxco and several other places nearer the national capital, and it seems to have generated additional visitors to the sites. The sponsor of the measure, Rep. Alvarado Arroyo, says that it goes hand in hand with his proposal to rescue and renovate Acapulco’s historic downtown area.

In Guerrero, most voters are young, uneducated, poor and indifferent to politics and public affairs. Candidates must thus avoid concepts, philosophies or ideologies. Such abstractions just result in blank stares. Instead, they make specific promises, like having the government buy required school uniforms and supplies. The PRI, which wrote the book on populist government during the 20th century, still leads the way in Guerrero’s 2011 election for governor with lavish promises to the electorate that seem too good to be true. The PRD coalition also has followed suit, overlooking any distance that may exist between the parties on the right-left scale. Only the PAN, the right-wing presidential party, tries to make points with its philosophy of private enterprise and smaller government. Few voters are buying.

It is for that reason that the Employers’ Confederation issued its shot across the bow of the leading campaigns. If they plan to increase taxes to fund a bigger budget, they had better have solid control over the state legislature. The group warns that if a heavier tax burden is placed on small businesses, the result will be fewer jobs, not greater tax collections.

Later today, families will cut the traditional “rosca” or pastry wreath, decorated with fruits and icing. Inside the rosca somewhere will be one or more small likenesses of the baby Jesus. A prize should go to the lucky ones who find it. (New Orleans folks will see in this a parallel to “Mardi Gras cakes.”) With the rosca, it is traditional to drink “atole,” a thick, slightly sweet preparation from oatmeal. Vanilla is the standard flavor, but in Acapulco, guava, mango and other tropical fruit flavors are often preferred.

Last night, in the downtown center, under colored lights, tons and tons of toys were on display in open market fashion, with the participation of hundreds of vendors. The kids hovered around, trying to decide what to hope for, and the parents watched intently, so that they could be helpful to the kings from the East. A child who had not yet written a letter to the Three Kings could do so. The correct method is to write it on, or put it in, a balloon filled with helium, and release it to the sky. One kid was overheard asking his parents “Have you bought my presents from the Magi-Kings? I sent my letter on time.”

The musical program will count on the participation of groups from Mexico, Canada and the United States. Funds raised in the event will go to the benefit of organizations supporting orphans in Haiti, Mexico, Canada and the US.

Mexicana left Acapulco with no connection to 65 destinations within Mexico and in other countries, causing a severe impact on tourism, travel agencies, hotels and restaurants. The travel packages (which include the air fare) were most negatively impacted.

Cynics predicted the rapid return of a refurbished Mexicana, supported by private investment. As a state company, it was ideologically unpopular with the current, conservative regime, which for two presidential mandates has been privatizing every conceivable state enterprise except for PEMEX. Their opponents have accused the government of purposefully running Mexicana into the ground so that it could re-emerge, phoenix-like, as a private entity. Traditionally the new investors are all well-heeled friends or patrons of the presidential party. So far, no news reports have emerged about where the new financing has come from to permit the resuscitation of Mexicana.

The Acapulco chapters of the National Manufacturers Association and the National Chamber of Commerce, together with the Acapulco head of a transportation confederation, pointed specifically at the overpass being built over the Escénica to connect Puerto Marqués to El Cayaco, the widening of the road between Mozimba and Pie de la Cuesta, and the renovations on the Bulevar Lázaro Cárdenas, which leads out of Acapulco towards Mexico City. The business leaders feel insulted, saying that the government officials and their hand-picked construction companies are just having fun with the people of Acapulco, extending the work well past the deadlines. The business leaders also are pressing for the resignation of the Highway Department’s director in Guerrero state, for being incompetent.

The mayor of Acapulco has already protested the delays, threatening to organize a citizens´ sit-in at the offices of the Department of Transportation in Mexico City. He, like the business leaders, feels that Guerrero, being a poor southern state, often receives step-child treatment from the power players in Mexico City. The result is the loss of millions of pesos to small business operators in the affected areas. Restaurants and hotels in Pie de la Cuesta are especially affected, as few motorists want to confront the long traffic delays just to get there from Acapulco.

No official explanations have been given for the delays in completing the highway construction projects. In the case of the cloverleaf at Puerto Marqués, the construction was halted at least twice for failure by the construction company to obtain necessary environmental permits. Workers were throwing construction waste into a protected mangrove lake by the bay of Puerto Marqués. On another occasion, they cut the 48-inch water main that passes under the roadway, denying water to over half of Acapulco for nearly a week.

Representatives Ríos Piter and Jorrín are leading the charge. The leadership of the Convergencia party is also backing the effort. According to the critics, the first phase of the renewal project for Avenida Cuauhtémoc from the Maxi-Tunnel to downtown, was to cost $200 million pesos; however, press reports at the time of its ribbon-cutting put the cost at $140 million. The city government is now seeking to borrow funds, raising its debt to nearly $1 billion pesos. The skeptics are speculating that the moneys budgeted but not spent for the “Bicentennial Overpass” will not be found in the city’s coffers. They conclude that it found its way into the “off-book” portion of Añorve’s campaign finances, to pay for activities not intended to be seen by the election authorities.

Rep. Piter was especially emphatic in his criticism, as the money used to pay for the overpass was originally earmarked to help CAPAMA renovate its grossly inadequate infrastructure. This was Añorve’s main campaign promise in his election as mayor. The diversion of the funds to a highly visible construction project was a disappointment for the PRD opposition, and it clearly helps the PRI in the gubernatorial campaign, even though, as Rep. Piter says, “it is an overpass to nowhere.”

Vices, too, take their toll: Cigarettes have gone up from $30 pesos a pack to $38 pesos (about US$3.16). Alcohol in general is now more expensive, up anywhere from 3-10%.

Basic staples, like eggs, chicken, beef, beans, rice and tortillas are also tending to rise. In 2010, a kilo of tortillas cost $10 pesos. Now the price is $12 in most places.

The minimum wage in Mexico rose 4.1% on January 1 to US$4.99 per ten-hour work day, up from $4.79 per day. Different from the situation in the US, in Mexico a large portion of the workforce actually has to live on the minimum wage. This year the price increases more than wiped out the $0.22 per day wage increase, so that the very poor are now worse off in 2011 than they were in 2010.

Walton also said that the upcoming election needs to be “transparent,” and not like the previous election for mayor, in which he was defeated by Añorve. Walton said that he had the most votes from the real electorate, but that the PRI stole the election through vote-buying and ballot-box stuffing.

Walton’s reasoning is that during the 19 months when Añorve occupied the mayor’s office, the city incurred 789 million pesos in debts; before that, the city had no long term debt. Walton then asserts that the billion pesos of borrowed money is nowhere visible in Acapulco, but it is very evident in the squandering of funds by Añorve’s electoral campaign. He cited the renting of helicopters and the purchasing of full page newspaper ads as examples. Walton then accused Añorve of deceiving voters, making promises that he cannot possibly keep (such as ending the direct tax on vehicles, giving free fertilizer to farmers and providing uniforms and school supplies in all the schools).

Campaign representatives for Añorve answer that (1) all city expenditures and all campaign expenditures are strictly accounted for and audited; and (2) quite obviously, legislative changes are necessary to implement programs and keep campaign promises, and the governor can do nothing more than promise effective leadership. Añorve was in no way presuming to speak on behalf of the State Legislature.

Hotel occupancy has dropped from its nearly sold-out position to about 75% as the high season continues into the first full week of the New Year. Cruise ships continue to arrive. Yesterday it was the Coral Princess, with 2,136 passengers aboard. Acapulco’s tourism secretary, Jéssica García Rojas, estimates that Acapulco has a “floating tourist population” of about 41,000 visitors, which should continue strong until just after Easter. This represents a 4% increase over last year.

Meanwhile, some in the tourist services industry report negligible improvement in this year-end season over the last one. The 500 or so tour guides possessing federal credentials still are pressing to ban un-credentialed taxis and tour guides from the Marine Terminal and to improve security for the passengers. In 2009 the problem of the flu epidemic reduced tourist traffic, and in 2010 it was the reported violence. Worse still, the current cruise ship season (September to May) will end with about 10% fewer arrivals than in the past year.

When the sea turtles are old enough to be released into the sea, the hatcheries usually invite school children to come and help with the ceremony. Not only does this raise consciousness about the endangered species, it helps the hatchlings survive. Their instinctive march from the beach nests to the sea waters is probably their most dangerous time of life, as they are easy prey for predatory birds, which circle overhead. The presence of the school children keeps the birds at a distance.

Mario López Alberto, who helps with boat rentals along the beaches, says that lifeguards only appear on long weekends and at vacation times. During rest of the year, when someone gets into trouble in the water, the people who work at the beaches undertake the rescue. A restaurant owner noted that on Icacos Beach, which is a half mile long, there is only one life guard tower, and it is often empty. “The waiters and the boat people are the ones who save the vacationers. It’s only for that reason that no one has drowned here in the last two years.” Many of those rescued by locals are unsupervised children who venture too far into the water.

Lifeguards also serve to reduce petty theft, which is a common complaint on the more crowded beaches. The people who make their livelihoods on the beaches also have asked that signs be provided at reasonable intervals, warning tourists not to swim while drunk, to watch over their children, to safeguard their valuables, and to call an emergency number if a problem arises.

The bus terminals are equally crowded with arriving visitors, with 40 daily arrivals, each one at full capacity. Most of them come in from Mexico City. Dozens of the large charter buses arrive each day, also fully loaded, with groups from more distant locations, mainly from the northern part of the country. All arriving air flights show load factors of near 100%, and Acapulco’s airport has also been crowded with international arrivals, with long lines at immigration and customs.

In the Golden Zone, hotels averaged 87.5% occupancy, with many of the more popular ones reporting that they are fully booked through the weekend.

The heavy traffic and the massive arrivals of tourists have led to a few abuses. Mayor José Luis Ávila Sánchez yesterday urged all who work in the tourist industry not to take advantage of visitors by overcharging or misleading them, emphasizing that Acapulco’s prosperity depends on the well-being and satisfaction of its holiday guests.

In making his statement, Mayor Ávila Sánchez may have been directing himself specifically to providers of local transport. Taxis have started to charge a $30 peso minimum fare instead of the usual $25 pesos, arguing that the heavy traffic makes each trip last longer and consume more gasoline. Collective taxis, which usually charge $12 pesos for a run from Acapulco to the Diamond Zone or to Renacimiento, are charging $15 pesos for the same reason. A full run from Caleta to the Naval Base along the Costera in a conventional taxi will be quoted at $250 pesos instead of the usual $100 or so. By accepted local tradition, all public transportation fares are doubled on New Year’s Eve.

Mayor Ávila Sánchez was asked in a press interview yesterday about PROFECO’s closing or fining six restaurants in Puerto Marqués for price gouging. He responded that a large part of the problem is not with the owners of the establishment, but rather with the employees, who add to the bill in order to increase their own year-end take-home pay. For that reason, he appealed to all citizens to respect Acapulco’s honored guests during the long year-end holiday.

The mayor also was asked about the great increase in unofficial street vendors in the downtown area. He assured the owners of licensed businesses that the municipal police will remove any street vendors who do not have a city license to be there.

From nearby docks tourists could take a boat ride, rent a jet ski or take a ride on the “banana.” Inflatable floats were renting at $30 pesos for the day. Overall, a sense of complete safety and tranquility prevailed, in spite of the throng of visitors. Employees of the city government were posted around the area to hand out leaflets, answer questions and provide other tourist services.

One tourist who was interviewed said that she loves to come to Acapulco (from Mexico City) and visit various beaches. “In my three-day visit I have gone to Revolcadero and Puerto Marqués, but I always wind up at Caleta because what I like most about this beach is that it is clean and peaceful, and everything here is less expensive by comparison. And you can eat right here on the beach, and very well.”

“The inspectors are constantly moving around from one place to another. Starting on Wednesday, the oversight will be increased, as more and more party-goers show up at the clubs,” he said. Areas of special attention are cases of discrimination, especially in the discos, unjustified charges, and underage drinking.

In all of Acapulco, PROFECO has received forty comments from tourists so far in the high season. Half of them were favorable, according to the local agency head. The majority of the complaints were made against eating establishments. Three were registered against hotels for overcharging visitors.

Highway police reported that as of 7:00 pm yesterday, 28 vehicles per minute were arriving at the last toll booth on the road to Acapulco from Mexico City. Meanwhile, one more cruise ship tied up at the Marine Terminal. The Constellation, a Maltese flag vessel, came in from Huatulco with over 2,000 passengers, most of whom are from Israel. Their next stop is Puerto Vallarta.

The crisis hit Acapulco especially hard because it reduced both the number of vacation visitors to the resort city and the amount of money spent on average by the tourists. Ms. Paredes said that many restaurants had to close, while several others cut back their days of operation to just the weekends. To save money, many tourists did not go to restaurants, but rather bought supplies at the grocery stores and ate in their hotel rooms.

Mr. Saldívar Rodríguez added that 130 members of the local Chamber went out of business during the year. He added that part of the drop in tourism relates to the streak of violence suffered in Acapulco during 2010, even though the vast majority of it occurred far away from the tourist zone.

Mr. Romero García added that of the 650 manufacturers belonging to Acapulco’s chapter of the national association, 65 of them, or 10%, had to close their doors. The remainder were forced to cut back on personnel or reduce the number of shifts.

In spite of the grim news about 2010, all three declared that 2011 looked to be more promising, as the national and international economies appear to be in recovery, and the violence seems to have subsided. Thanks to efforts by Acapulco’s security forces and to various efforts by government and the private sector to spread accurate information about the safety of the tourist zone, the coming year should show an overall positive trend, they affirmed.

Another concern is for what will happen during rainy season, when the Black Lagoon normally conducts large quantities of runoff. If the channels are blocked, the water is expected to cause flooding in the main roads and in new housing developments. Last year, Geo Construction was sued by several home buyers in a nearby development because of a similar problem.

A formal “Plan for the Rehabilitation of Black Lagoon” has been in force, but private companies have been roundly ignoring it. Complaints made to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have so far gone unanswered. The tour guides added that the ecological destruction has also put in peril the livelihoods of many families.

Though the posted speed limit is a moderate 60 kpm, traffic flow varies between 80 and 100 kpm, except for the trucks and buses, which have trouble keeping up speed on the steep ascents. As a result, many accidents are rear-end collisions.

Visitors driving vehicles in Acapulco should be particularly wary of the Escénica, as its curves are often hidden and uneven, creating risks for anyone unfamiliar with the winding road, especially at night, as there is no illumination. Uneven pavement is also a frequent hazard. According to the police, visitors are the ones most likely to frequent the many night clubs and restaurants along the route, venturing into the dark of night under the influence of alcohol. The best advice for tourists travelling between the bay side of Acapulco and Punta Diamante is to take a taxi, and sit in the back seat.

The Highway Department has announced plans to build a tunnel connecting the Naval Base on the bay side to the Diamond Zone, thus reducing risk and travel time for all; however, the tunnel will not be built and operating for several more years.

Next weekend, 54,000 additional tourists are expected to arrive. Ms. García said, “So far this season we have not had one negative incident; everything has been very quiet.” She added that each department of the city government has an assigned set of tasks to make sure, on a permanent basis, that all visitors to Acapulco have a great stay.

The law requires, among other things, that tanks be transported safely to and from the stations and that each filled tank have a functioning valve, which is to be sealed after filling with the name of the company and other information, to guaranty the purity and correct quantity of the product. Local citizens often arrive at the filling stations on foot with their empty tanks. After filling them, they return home by city bus, which is both unsafe and illegal. Stations are not permitted to refill tanks if a secure means of transport is not visible.

Trucks belonging to the gas companies circulate throughout the city to exchange empty cylinders with full ones for an extra charge, but they often omit the required valve seal. Citizens frequently complain that the tanks thus exchanged are not properly filled or do not contain 100% LP gas. Several of the companies in Acapulco are owned by the same persons.

Novedades de Acapulco recommends that LP gas customers make sure safety procedures are taken when tanks are refilled and that the seal, with all the required information, is placed on the valve. Tanks should be weighed prior to filling and afterwards and the customer charged for the difference in weight. Filling station personnel often run through the process hurriedly, making it difficult for customers to confirm that they have received a complete fill. It is better to refill tanks at the filling stations, in spite of the lax safety discipline, as the tanks in circulation on the distributors’ trucks are not subject to confirmation of proper weight.

“I would discount the comments of some citizens and politicians that the Southern states have been forgotten: Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero have had especially high commitments of financial resources.” The SCT representative added that in 2009 Guerrero received $752 million pesos of investment in highway construction and $800 million pesos in 2010, when the average for previous years was $300 million pesos.

With respect to Acapulco itself, $300 million was invested in 2010: $129 million for Mozimba-Pie de la Cuesta (leading out of town to the west and north), $65 million in the stretch from El Cayaco to Las Cruces (on the northeastern corridor), and $106 million on the cloverleaf at Puerto Marqués (where the Acapulco-Diamante highway intersects with the road from Puerto Marqués to Coloso and El Cayaco).

In a ceremony in the Plaza de Francia, public safety director Héctor Paulino Vargas López told reporters that the “Guadalupe-Reyes” Program (December 12 to January 6) will have the participation of 447 city police, 481 traffic police, 101 tourist police and 82 public safety personnel. Twenty-seven mobile health units and 30 ATV’s will be in operation along the tourist zone.

Tourism Promotion Secretary Ernesto Rodríguez Escalona also announced that the traditional New Year’s fireworks display all around Acapulco’s bay will involve almost 21,000 detonations and will last 10 to 15 minutes. The show will be visible from every beach location.

“Because we do not have a written contract [with the highway department], we cannot sue them, so we will just have to make public protests at their central offices in Mexico City. First we will make a survey of the job sites to be able to provide accurate information about their status,” he said. Mayor Ávila Sánchez reiterated that the projects be completed “immediately” because “we Acapulqueños cannot be left to suffer the consequences.”

His remarks came when a reporter asked him about the security issue in Acapulco and if that would impinge on the year-end holidays. He said, “Acapulco is great. [The tourists] can come to sunbathe like iguanas and put their feet in the air.”

When reporters asked him about other controversial matters, like the “La Parota” hydro-electric project, the governor declined comment, saying that he was participating in the traditional year-end party. “I want to avoid controversies on this day of celebration,” he said. With respect to the political campaigns, he said “I am not involved in the campaigns; I respect them greatly, and I don’t have the least idea whether how they will come out in the end.”

PRI candidate Añorve Baños was at the “Pendón,” as well as his major opponent, PRD candidate Ángel Aguirre Rivero. The campaigns took advantage of the large crowd to win votes in the gubernatorial elections, which take place on January 30. The competing political groups handed out free beer, brandy, tequila and mescal to anyone who expressed the intention to favor them with a vote.

One family erected a banner saying, “This family supports Manuel Añorve and we are giving away everything.” Ex-deputy Marcelino Díaz de Jesús shouted, “To anyone who votes for Ángel Aguirre, I’ll give him a beer!” The deputy and aides carried large bags filled with cold bottles of beer. The undersecretary of Public Services for Chilpancingo, Héctor Rodríguez, placed a banner outside his house, declaring his support for Añorve and inviting all PRI sympathizers to come in and have a beer. The banner said, “The Rodríguez family participates in the “Pendón 2010” and supports Añorve.”

Governor Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo appeared at the event, taking advantage of the large crowd tos ay his formal farewell to the citizens. Townspeople gathered around him, singing and dancing, even though his security personnel tried to keep them at a safe distance. During the party a number of large banners were erected thanking the governor for his service over the last six years. For example, one of them said, “Thank you, Governor, for the public improvements in the Santa Cruz neighborhood.” Another expressed a similar sentiment from the Tequicorral neighborhood, and another thanked him for participating in the traditions of Chilpancingo. No one really knew where the banners had come from.

Over 900 policemen and other public safety personnel were on hand to protect the crowds and maintain order.

When asked by reporters, vacationers indicated that they had made their reservations for the Acapulco Christmas holiday anywhere from one to three months in advance. Those without reservations had the opportunity to book accommodations at the rest stop right by the La Venta toll station, where sales personnel were visiting with the travelers and handing out leaflets. Many said that the cold temperatures in Mexico City and elsewhere were a major incentive to come to Acapulco to enjoy the climate and the beaches. When asked about the “violence issue,” most responded that they felt equally secure in Acapulco as anywhere else in the country, as the problem of organized crime is not exclusive to Acapulco.

Meanwhile, along the beaches, a few elements of the local police could be observed patrolling on four-wheel ATV’s, but the large number of police and military security personnel, announced by local authorities, are yet to appear. Several tourists, when asked by the press, said that the beach vendors were much more of a bother than anything related to security.

Other aspects of the service will be to distribute maps of the tourist zone, complete with emergency numbers and tips on how to avoid accidents. If children wander off, the students will help the parents find them.
The coordinator of the program mentioned that all students will receive training in how to avoid any violations of the electoral laws. The fact that the t-shirts are the same color as the campaign t-shirts of Añorve Baños was not considered to be an infraction, but just a coincidence.

In addition to the students, more than 1000 policemen will be on patrol to ensure the safety of tourists. This operation, according to Public Safety Director Héctor Paulino Vargas López, will be supplemented with elements of both the Army and the Navy. He was explicit that “organized crime will not be able to affect the tourists.”

The legislator commented that “The state budget presumes that the next government will continue the projects started by the current one. I think we Guerrerenses are fed up with the fact that every six years there is a jerking, stop-and-start approach, where current projects are scrapped at a waste of public money, and new ones started.” “The intention of the continuing budget is that we keep going with that which ought to be advanced, and the only things that change are the [unfulfilled] political promises, because, well, they need to change. … The people have confidence in the state legislature because we are doing a responsible job, and are not beholden to the political campaigns.”

The vehicle property tax is an unpopular one, and always a political target during campaign season. But once in office, the income is always welcome, so the tax continues. It was first established in the1930’s by then-president Lázaro Cárdenas, who nationalized the petroleum industry into PEMEX. The tax was a method of generating revenues to pay for the expropriations. But PEMEX has long since been paid for, and yet the tax continues to survive.

In spite of the current situation, Falcón Moreno expressed optimism about 2011. Conventions and congresses are on the rise again, and the number of visitors from other parts of Mexico is also increasing. The reports of drug violence affect the smaller and older hotels less than the luxury accommodations, as the former depend more on national tourists and weekend traffic. Hotels that serve mainly international visitors have suffered the greatest impact. The association executive added that everyone hopes that this season will be good, but it is too soon to starting "ringing the bells." “We must continue our promotional efforts in the north of the country and in the US and Canada ... The first charter from Canada will arrive on December 24. We must be ready with clean streets and heightened security for our visitors,” Falcón Moreno added.

The photographers arrived and found two trailers with out-of-state plates, hurriedly fleeing from the main street of the community. One of the reporters blocked the exit with his pickup truck while a photographer took photos. The campaign workers verbally threatened the journalists, insisting on being allowed to make their getaway.
Local residents later denied that the trailers were handing out food and staples in exchange for votes; rather, the trailers had arrived to show a movie, they said.

Political campaigns routinely spy on the activities of the opposing campaigns, hoping to catch them red-handed in illegal acts. The use of campaign resources to distribute gifts to voters is a standard tactic, technically illegal, but widely practiced. Sometimes the quid pro quo is just loyalty, but sometimes the recipient must relinquish his voter card. Favored vote-getters in working-class neighborhoods are “tinacos” (water cisterns) and food baskets.

For that reason, adversaries and doubters felt sure that the Annual Report would be delayed until after the elections, to avoid giving any raw material to opposition propaganda machines. Most city and town governments are chronically late with the required report, and several simply ignore the obligation altogether. Ávila had promised all along that the report would be timely and complete. He kept his word. Clearly the mayor believes that Acapulco’s accomplishments in the last year reflect positively on Añorve and his administration. Political opponents, naturally, will criticize the report for telling only part of the story.

The annual report covers how the financial resources of the municipality were spent, the services rendered to the public, and the completion of public construction projects. The “Bicentennial Overpass,” inaugurated on November 20, is perhaps the most evident and iconic achievement of the Añorve government, now led by Ávila. At a cost of approximately US$12 million, phase I of the modernization of Acapulco’s main entry route is concrete evidence that the government actively supports the city’s progress. Mayor Ávila said, “We are at the head of a municipal government that is at work, and within its abilities, it is meeting expectations. For that reason, we are not interested in wicked criticisms, and even less so from people whose only wish is that things go badly for Acapulco and that it move backwards in social and urban development, only for the dubious pleasure of putting themselves in the limelight.”

The formal public release of the report took place in the “Piñata Esplanade” of Papagayo Park. It was a simple event, without long speeches and megaphones. Ávila referred to priorities for the administration, including public safety and security, management and finances, public works, drinking water, sewers and drains, public services, tourism, social development and assistance and assistance to groups with special needs or vulnerabilities. Representing the Governor, Ernesto Rodríguez Escalona, State Tourism Secretary, was present. He made remarks typical of Governor Torreblanca’s neutral stance in the upcoming election. He called upon everyone to maintain solidarity and to avoid over-the-top political passion, which could result in harm to the city and its inhabitants. Two City Council members, representing the opposition PRD and Convergencia, expressed their opposition to the mayor’s Annual Report, noting that Ávila has little more than 3 months in office, which reduces the credibility of the document.

The dispute is over plans by Mexico City-based JAR Estates to build a private yacht pier right off the Plaza Polonia in the center of Icacos beach. The group hopes that public outcry will persuade federal authorities not to permit the construction of a pier for private yachts at the expense of one of Acapulco bay’s most popular tourist beaches. They carried cards saying “We want open beaches” and “Predatory birds, Carrion-eating Vultures: No more looting of national assets.” The flyers distributed to passing motorists said, “We need the help of all citizens of Acapulco and of the nation to defend Acapulco’s beaches, which is the only treasure we still have, and which belongs to us all.” The flyer then explains about JAR Estates, calling them “voracious entrepreneurs who want to take our natural beaches from us to construct a privatized pier in front of the Palapa Hotel. We do not want these businessmen to take from us the little we have left for local, national and foreign tourism. To say that it will spawn more tourism is a lie. All they care about is money and power with which to buy the government officials.”

FOMI leader Marco Antonio Suástegui Muñoz expressed the worry that JAR Estates will bring in the tug with the construction platform right in the middle of the high tourist season, impairing the view and threatening the existence of those whose livelihoods depend on tourism. For that reason, FOMI took the decision to start protesting now. Suástegui said that he has appointments with environmental enforcement agencies (PROFEPA and SEMARNAT) to see if any permits already obtained by JAR Estates can be revoked.

FOMI intends to lead a march along the beach area in Icacos after Christmas, “the likes of which has not been seen.” The purpose of the protest is to raise public awareness and obtain petition signatures against the threatened extinction of Icacos as a tourist beach, just to accommodate yachts for the well-heeled condo owners nearby.

Tourism Secretary Ernesto Rodrígues Escalona provided the estimates at a press briefing on “Operation Winter 2010-2011,” a cooperative effort at all three levels of government to provide enhanced security, information services and other amenities to holiday visitors. One such amenity is Acapulco’s New Year fireworks show, which lights up the entire night sky over the bay for an hour or so, starting at midnight. The cost of the display is around US$165,000.

State Public Safety Director, General Heriberto Salinas Altés (ret.) added that “Operation Winter 2010-2011” will be implemented in all seven major regions of the state and that 7,375 public safety employs will participate, including police, fire and ambulance personnel. Tourism support elements will be patrolling the beaches on ATV’s. The special services will continue through January 9.

The head of SECTUR also mentioned that while the US, Canada and Mexico City have all been suffering from especially cold winter temperatures this year, Acapulco’s climate remains very comfortable with daily highs between 86 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and nightly lows about 20 degrees cooler than the highs.

Yesterday, for example, six persons lost their lives in incidents bearing all the hallmarks of drug turf wars, but all of them took place many miles away from the beaches and hotels. Three fell in Zapata, one in Renacimiento, one in La Sabana, and one in a village called Azoyú. All of these communities are on the other side of the mountain ridge that forms Acapulco’s geologic “amphitheater” that defines the bay. In terms of US geography, it would be like discouraging visitors to Hollywood because there is gang violence in Watts. Hardly a day goes by without some reported killing in the slum areas.

The tourist zone is relatively unaffected by the drug gang turf wars for a good reason: Surely it is not that the narco-warriors feel some civic obligation to leave the hotels and beach areas alone. It is because the battling factions are interested in only two things: preservation of markets and protection of supply sources. The tourist zone is neither a good market for illegal drugs, nor does it produce anything illicit. Just as in large US cities, drug dealing in Acapulco is centered where there are heavy concentrations of the urban poor. And just as in other drug-producing countries of the world, the fertile agricultural areas are where drug “families” battle for hegemony over entire communities.

The nature of the violence differs between urban “executions” and rural acts of terror. In the poor suburbs, gangs single out individual members and collaborators of rival groups as targets of “hits.” That was the evident cause of five of the assassinations yesterday in Renacimiento, Zapata and La Sabana, working class communities along the federal highway coming into Acapulco from Mexico City. The sixth incident was in a more remote area in the mountains. Just as guerrilla groups all over the world have used terror as a means of subjugating local populations, the drug gangs try to frighten inhabitants of rural areas into cooperating in the growing of narcotic-producing plants. Their tactics sometimes lead to gruesome, inhuman atrocities, often inflicted on innocent people.

Fortunately for Acapulco’s main industry, tourism, the probability that a visitor to the beach areas will stumble into some episode of drug-related violence is about the same as the risk of being struck by lightning, and probably even less. What has injured the city is the inability of people who live far away from Acapulco to understand the local geography and perceive that the enchanting bay is far away from gangland.

Education secretary José Luis González de la Vega Otero reassured the public that the payroll list for all of Guerrero’s public educational institutions is “bullet-proof” from organized crime. The official made the statement in the face of revelations in the neighboring state of Michoacán that criminal groups were hijacking part of the state payroll by listing crime bosses as professors. De la Vega said that the same thing could not happen in Guerrero, because payroll recipients are checked against the Social Security rolls and other databases to be sure that they are not known criminals, fictitious persons, or deceased.

In Michoacán, it was revealed that Servando Gómez Martínez, known as “La Tuta,” had been listed as a professor and receiving a full salary, even though his occupation was drug gang leader and not teacher.

The head of the Guerrero Department of Education made his statement during a visit to a technical school in the Acapulco suburb of Zapata. He added that the Guerrero teacher payroll is constantly being checked against other government records to clean out any individuals who occupy more than one position or who have no connection with the school system. He added that the “Auditoría Superior de la Federación” (similar to the General Accounting Office in the United States) has been working on the payroll list since 2009, and that the entire list of paid teachers is “clean.”

Last year, the fixed price of communal taxis, called “colectivos” went from $10 to $12 pesos, causing a similar hue and cry. In spite of a government policy to suppress the price hike, the $12 peso price stuck, and the public had to accept it as a fait accompli. The same is likely to happen with tortillas. Both subjects are potentially troublesome for politicians, as the cost of tortillas and basic transport are critical to the well-being of Guerrero’s struggling poor. It is similar to the political fallout in the United States whenever gas prices rose to unattainable levels for those whose livelihoods depend on transport. Historically, the price of bread paid by the working poor has been identified with the downfall of governments, including pre-revolution France in 1789 and the Weimar republic in Germany in 1933. It is therefore no small wonder that the state government is pressuring small business owners to keep a lid on the traditional tortilla price of $10 pesos per kilo.

Retail prices in Mexico are not explicitly controlled, except in the case of legal monopolies like gasoline and electricity. But consumer protection laws permit regulators to attack price hikes for staple items if the increases are not “cost-justified.” In the case of tortillas, the government had installed a support program for the suppliers, providing credit for purchasing machinery and financing for buying corn at reduced prices. For this reason, the Secretary of Economic Development reacted so negatively to the increase.

The larger of the two projects is the cloverleaf being built where the Escénica (Scenic Highway) crosses the road from Puerto Marqués towards Coloso and El Cayaco. Workers had been filling up the “Black Lagoon” of Puerto Marqués with petroleum refuse and construction debris, covering over the protected area with fill dirt, in the style of a land fill. PROFEPA yesterday ordered that all construction stop. PROFEPA said that its inspection found backhoes filling in the Puerto Marqués channel, blocking 50% of the natural water flow and destroying the habitat of protected species of flora and fauna, like the river crocodile and the mangrove. A secondary environmental benefit of the stoppage is that the horrific traffic jams and rush hour delays at that point will subside somewhat during the holiday season.

The second closure is at Playa La Angosta, in Acapulco’s traditional zone. The narrow beach faces the Pacific Ocean, not far from La Quebrada, nestled in a cove with high walls of stone on either side. Along the southern wall of the inlet the state highway department had approved the construction of a shelf-like pier, extending beyond the inlet. The idea was to provide fishermen with a safer place to moor small vessels and a more workable space for fresh seafood restaurants and retailers. As in the case of the Puerto Marqués project, adverse environmental impact was almost certain, and no environmental impact statements had been filed.

The two principal candidates made a joint request to meet with the Governor.

In a communiqué to the electorate, the Governor encouraged the voters to “vote for whomever you want, but vote!” He said that the important principle, especially in these troubled times, is to make sure that the democratic process is alive and prospering. He reiterated that he was supporting no candidate, and he reminded all state employees to refrain from favoring any political candidate while on duty. According to the Secretary of Rural Development, Gloria Sierra López, also present with the Governor, there is a temptation among some government workers to “condition the delivery of resources” on acts of support for a specific candidate. She called on her colleagues not to commit “this type of electoral crime.”

In the press interview following Governor Torreblanca’s statement, he also confirmed that the “Bicentennial Tunnel,” which will go from the Naval Base to the Diamante side of Acapulco, is now an active project of the State Highway Department. The cost will be around $3 billion pesos, to be paid out of a trust fund established for that purpose, to which private businesses will contribute in accordance with their long-term interests in having such a facility.

The allegation was made because Acapulco’s annual financial report, due shortly, will almost certainly not be revealed before the January 30 elections, even though the Mayor is constantly saying that the report is being prepared, and a release date will be announced soon. Part of the credibility problem is the Mayor’s assertion that the books are “squeaky clean” and that no money has been deflected away from official purposes. Such an affirmation is almost certain to be inaccurate, as municipal governments everywhere have issues with the misallocation of funds. That the books have been inspected several times by government bureaucrats does not resolve matters, as it is the off-book income and payments that interest the politicians. Moreover, the local “political wisdom” of long-standing is that he who would be governor should first run for mayor, to fund his war chest for the campaign. Mayor Ávila is facing an uphill battle to persuade the electorate that the city’s finances are completely free of error and defalcations.

On more solid ground, Mayor Ávila pointed the finger at previous administrations of the City, namely the PRD administration of Felix Macedonio Salgado and his predecessor. He said that “they nearly killed the City,” and that those irresponsible people who make their claims should contemplate who it was that governed the City when the fiscal harm occurred.

Moving to a more cheerful topic, the Mayor said that Acapulco will be paying the year-end bonuses (“Aguinaldo”) on December 15 and February 15, right on schedule, and that the total amount to be paid is $121 million pesos.

The director said that CAPAMA was doing everything possible to fund the employee benefit, but cash flow has been negative, due largely to the damage caused to the system by the heavy rainy season and the construction of the road at Puerto Marqués, where workers cut a 48” water main that served 70% of the distribution system. Public utilities usually fund the annual “Aguinaldo” through a surcharge to the first bills sent to customers in the new year. This is the practice of CFE, the electricity monopoly. But with water supply being such a perennial problem, many customers have simply stopped paying their water bills. CAPAMA’s indebtedness is now over $400 million pesos.

On a different subject, the director was asked about reports that grey water was being discharged into the bay, contaminating the water at four local beaches. CAPAMA’s director denied that the water utility was releasing untreated water into the ocean. “The problem originates in the brick linings of the sewer pipes, which can collapse, causing leakage into the arroyos, which wash out to the sea.”

The city official also referred to the cooperation agreement among police forces at all three levels of government to guarantee safety and quiet for vacationers during the high holiday season and the numerous “value-added” details Acapulco provides to visitors, like the fireworks over the bay, volunteers to assist tourists in the key attractions, and popular shows at Caleta and Caletilla.

In the United States, the usual maximum safe concentration of enterococos is 100 colony-forming units per 100 ml of water. (In Hawaii, where the standards are the highest, warnings must be posted if the readings exceed 7.) In Acapulco, the maximum safe level is considered to be 200 units per 100 ml as a geometric average(i> for readings along a beach. The four beaches cited did not exceed 200 on average, which would have required warnings or closures. However, peak readings were as high as 600 and 700 units per 100 ml near the drainage outlets. The enterococos contaminant is believed to be highly correlated with human pathogens found in city sewage.

The local health department stated that bathers are not at risk at the levels found on these beaches, but the readings should be taken as a warning to the city authorities and to the National Water Commission that protective measures must be taken to stop Acapulco's storm drains from making the contamination any worse.

Jar Estates, a private company that constructs and operates docks and piers, has applied again to construct a private yacht pier at Icacos Beach. In February of 2008 the company obtained local approvals to build a pier into Acapulco’s bay at Icacos Beach, about 200 meters to the west of the Naval Base. Construction was commenced with the arrival of a floating platform and tug that would drive the piles for the pier. Virtually everyone opposed the project, from tourists, to locals, environmentalists, and beachside businesses. Jar Estates, which had also built an extension to the Yacht Club Marina on the west side of the bay, was well-connected with Acapulco’s governing elites, so that local approvals came swiftly. The snag was that the bay, like all of Mexico’s beaches, belongs to the Mexican people, according to the Constitution. Thus, it cannot be privatized. The federal government exercises control over the coastline, through various departments, including the navy. Private concessions on federal land are permissible, if they are in the public interest.

It turned out that Jar Estates and their allies within the local government overlooked the requisite environmental approvals prior to commencement of work. When local citizens loudly denounced the project, the construction was halted for lack of an environmental impact statement and other clearances. The platform and a few solitary pipes sticking out of the water remained at the work site for almost a year before being taken away.

The need for a pier at Icacos is related to the large number of wealthy people who have condominiums on the east side of the bay. They are frustrated because there are just no good places to moor a yacht nearby. Currently yacht owners must use the facility in Puerto Marqués or at the Acapulco Yacht Club, and then travel overland to their residences. Jar Estates wants to build and operate a pier at Icacos to meet this pressing need for yacht mooring, obviously in hopes of reaping the economic rewards that come from saving the wealthy from inconvenience.

The detractors of the project are afraid that the yacht traffic will prove dangerous to the swimmers along the beach at Icacos. They also allege that the pollution caused by motorized pleasure vessels (exhaust, petroleum slicks and garbage) will chase the day tourists away from the beaches out front. Opponents argue that the many people who come to the beach just for the beautiful view of the bay and the sunset will be required to find some other spot. If the swimmers and other beach visitors leave, then the restaurants, bars and other concessions along that portion of Icacos beach will perish. Hotel guests will diminish for those hotels affected by the presence of the pier.

Thus the battle lines are drawn: Jar Estates, representing the interest of certain elites, and FOMI, representing the environment, the beach vacationer and the small beach-based business. FOMI won round one, but the match continues. In Mexico, as elsewhere, the rich and politically influential seldom lose a struggle with the little guys. In the words of Rubén Vázquez Fragoso, president of “Green Guerrero,” an environmental group, “the situation in our country has two faces; on one side, in Cancún President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa called on participating countries to take action; while inside Mexico things are done to hurt nature … The government never takes the civil society into account when we could be working together … When a mercenary government acts this way it will face opposition from the citizens. We cannot just stand there with our arms crossed.”

The construction company has made criminal complaints against seven members of FOMI, which the organization regards as expected, heavy-handed measures. “The only wrong we have committed is to defend a public resource, our bay,” Mr. Vásquez said. A public demonstration is planned on the Costera for December 15 if the government fails to take action to stop the construction again.

This same Ranferi Hernández, as leader of the Leftist Socialist Movement (or MSI), was forced into exile in France twelve years ago because of political persecution by Aguirre, who was then interim governor of Guerrero and a leading firebrand of the conservative PRI. Now, as banner-carrier for Mexico’s left, Aguirre has embraced his former political enemy. Hernández, who is a native of Ahuacuotcingo, had at first sharply rejected the candidate, calling him the “executioner of those who fight for social justice.” The two reconciled prior to this meeting, and then Aguirre publicly apologized to Ranferi Hernández before a cheering crowd. Hernández evidently accepted it.

While Aguirre was interim governor of Guerrero, on June 7, 1998, in a school in “El Charco,” a village in the Ayutla municipality, army troops commanded by General Alfredo Oropeza Garnica massacred indigenous peoples, killing 11 and wounding 5 others. Hernández, a local elected representative at the time, was accused by the governor of being part of the Ejercito Popular Revolucionario (EPR), a Maoist guerrilla group that the authorities, in a curious perversion of logic, named as having “incited” the mass murder by the military. Aguirre’s accusations forced Hernández to flee to France with his wife and five children.

The civic organization meets weekly for lunch in a hotel on the Costera. In yesterday’s vote, Gallegos’ slate defeated the slate led by attorney Pedro Larumbe Morales, 26 to 17. After the election, the new directors visited the newspaper Novedades Acapulco for a press interview. Grupo ACA is politically active, but completely neutral in terms of parties and candidates, according to its bylaws. Chairman Gallegos rejected that the organization might be a political trampoline for its directors: “We are not endorsing any political party,” he said. “In this organization we have people from Pan, people who support Añorve, those in favor of Aguirre, and those who simply abstain from electoral politics. It is a diversity that gives us balance, which is for the benefit of the city,” he said. “People use the term ‘politician’ nowadays in a sense that has become so debased and devalued that no one is in favors of them. But we need to rescue the essence of this word, which identifies the people that do something in favor of the city.”

Gallegos continued: “Our job is to defend the city, to make sure that regulations are complied with to the letter. And when we invite [government] speakers every Wednesday, we will try to get commitments from them about their work, but with follow-up to see if they kept their promise.”

For 2011 the group has invited 40 different speakers to address them in a variety of areas like tourism, justice, health and education. Grupo ACA also has invited the candidates for governor to speak to them during the second week of January.

A spokesman for the airline said that the three were not in service on the flight, but were traveling as tourists, with revenue tickets. They were, however, in uniform and used official identification. They have been suspended pending further investigation. Aeromexico’s statement “deeply regrets” the incident and indicates “the company’s commitment to comply fully with the law and to cooperate with the applicable authorities.”

The project, supervised by the State Highway Department, has already run into a number of problems: first, workers cut a 48” water main that supplied over half of Acapulco’s water; then traffic jams at the construction site have extended commutes for some locals by 2 to 4 hours per day.

An arm of the lagoon extends between the Diamante Lakes condominium and a marble workshop, crossing under the Bulevar Las Naciones. A bridge was built over this eddy to preserve it, but that is where the construction crews have dumped the rubble, cutting off water flow some 150 meters short of arriving at the rest of the lagoon.

Filling in the lagoon at the construction site was not an act of negligence or indifference: after dumping the rubble in the water, construction crews converted it into a landfill, using backhoes. This eddy was the only portion of the Black Lagoon visible from the highway that goes to the airport, as the rest had already been covered over by other construction projects; however, in 2007, authorities rejected the proposed construction of a building for the Mexican Open tennis tournament at that location because the Black Lagoon was considered a protected and endangered natural site.

Fifty-six cold fronts are expected to pass across the Southern Sierra Madres between November 2010 and March 2011. Experts are predicting the coldest winter in five years. In Acapulco, night time temperatures have dipped as low as 18° (64°F), but usually remain around 20-22° (68-72°F). Daytime temperatures in winter months typically peak at 30-32° (86-90°F).

The tour guides specifically want to prohibit taxis associated with the “Coalition of Taxi-Interpreters,” as they are not accredited by SECTUR (the federal department of tourism), and represent unfair and unlawful competition to the licensed tour guides. The guides allege that the port authority is violating the law by letting unlicensed drivers and interpreters into the maritime terminal, which is on federal land. The unlicensed and unregulated guides have direct access to foreign tourists, with no incentive to be fair to the visitors and honest with them. As a result, tourists can feel exploited and harmed, thus injuring the international reputation of Acapulco, they argue.

The occasion of the announcement was the “International Migrant’s Day,” celebrated in Taxco with Distinguished Citizen and Distinguished Immigrant awards.

Detentions result mainly when local residents report an illegal person to the immigration authorities, usually as revenge for some perceived wrong, dispute or prejudice. Illegal visitors also come to the attention of authorities if accused of some common crime. Guatemalans in transit to the US border are often caught at highway roadblocks where police check credentials. Deportations have fallen off from a high of 200 in 2005, and have remained more or less steady at 150 per year.

Most of the foreigners legally resident in Guerrero live in Acapulco, and come from the United States and Canada. About 40 percent are not employed, but rather live on pension income paid from abroad. Ten percent are self-sufficient or are exchange students. The rest are employees of foreign companies, who have been stationed in Guerrero.

In the case of outbound migration, the most recent figures are from the year 2000, when Guerrero occupied seventh place among Mexico’s states for persons who leave the country.

In December poinsettias are abundant all over Mexico. Taxco, the historic mountain mining town in Guerrero where Ambassador Poinsett first learned about the plant, has embraced the Poinsettia as the plant’s home town, and has organized a festival around it. Today will be the second annual observance. The city fathers are hoping that the day will be observed nationwide as part of the pre-Christmas season and that UNESCO will recognize the plant as part of the intangible patrimony of mankind. Last month, UNESCO made such a declaration concerning Mexican cuisine, motivating those who promote other aspects of Mexican tradition and culture. In Roman Catholic tradition, December 8 is celebrated as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is perhaps a helpful association for the “Christmas flower.”

Today’s celebration is called “A Mosaic Through Time.” The official declaration of the town council recites, in part: “By virtue of the fact that the Cuetlaxochitl is a flower indigenous to this region and a symbol of Christmas, the Municipal Council unanimously has instituted this day.” Activities included a photographic exposition and contest, and the release of a CD of music in honor of the flower. Taxco is the home of the first native plant germplasm bank for the Poinsettia. Taxco has the honor of being the location for the announcement of the most recent variety of Poinsettia, a white-leaved plant named “Tlachco.” This was the pre-Hispanic name from which “Taxco” was derived. It means “place for playing pelota” (the Aztecan ball game).

The director of Acapulco’s traffic police said that the main cause of reckless driving by bus and taxi drivers is excessive speed. The second most frequent cause is driving while intoxicated, either with alcohol or marijuana. Another cause is driving under age. City bus drivers frequently let friends, siblings or children get behind the wheel to try their hand at driving, and some are as young as 10 to 12 years old. Another cause of accidents is city bus racing, particularly late on weekend nights along the Costera or Cuauhtémoc, when traffic has subsided and the drivers are feeling frisky.

According to police, a bus driver or collective taxi driver who kills a pedestrian and is found to be at fault will be jailed for negligent homicide. Several have been put behind bars and most have lost their public transport license.

Last week, the Aguirre campaign expressed doubts about the hydro-electric project, reversing an earlier position that favored construction “for so long as those who live in the flood zone are treated fairly.” Those reading tea leaves for the Añorve campaign have concluded that their opponent improved his standing with the voters when he flip-flopped on the dam, and yesterday, the Añorve campaign followed suit. Héctor Apreza Patrón, the press secretary for the Añorve campaign, made the announcement.

The question of the “La Parota” dam had come up again when the Aguirre campaign negotiated with Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the former candidate for President of Mexico on behalf of the PRD. López Obrador narrowly missed becoming president in the campaign against Felipe Calderón; for that reason the Aguirre campaign considers his endorsement to be valuable. One of the conditions set by López Obrador for endorsing Aguirre was, reportedly, the rejection of “La Parota.” No reasons were given why the former PRD leader is so set against an undertaking that would contribute to Guerrero’s infrastructure and economic development.

Añorve’s press spokesman Apreza was careful to separate his boss and the PRI from the López Obrador connection, saying that support for Aguirre from that quarter will do him very little good, and the decision of Añorve to oppose “La Parota” had nothing to do with the former PRD candidate for president or his opinions.

Yesterday SEFOTUR reported that the occupancy of Zihuatanejo hotels during the past week surpassed that of the Ixtapa hotels. Lozano disagrees. “I don’t go by the SEFOTUR statistics because in reality they don’t mean anything and are useless.” He said, “They are a blindfold that we put over our eyes so that we can say that things are going very well.” The representative of the hotels added, “We have a state tourism secretary, Gloria Guevara Manzo, who has not even set foot here, and nevertheless has the gall to make pronouncements that contradict all the canons of tourism. In addition, we have a secretary of tourism development, Ernesto Rodríguez Escalona, who has not come to Zihuatanejo for years.” Lozano said that his hotel association has gone to visit Rodríguez Escalona several times, and in truth, “we think he just does not think we are important enough. It doesn’t hurt his image if the high season goes poorly. Basically, we are on our own.”

The film festival will continue through Saturday, December 11. Formal opening ceremonies at Fort San Diego are scheduled for 7:00 pm today, when the “Golden Jaguar” prize will be presented to actress Lorena Velásquez for her career achievements. Then the crowd will have the chance to see Más Allá Del Muro (“Beyond the Wall”), a Mexican film by Luis Eduardo Reyes.

Other films to be shown during the festival are Social Networking by David Fincher, El Turista by Florian Heckel, and Los Ojos de Julia de Guillem Morales (“The Eyes of Julias de Guillem Morales”), produced by Guillermo del Toro. The Festival will also make a special recognition of the career achievements of Mexican actor Fernando Luján. The Mexican Cinematographic Institute will present a second documentary, Un Día Menos (“One Day Less”) by Daniela Ludlow Deloya.

On the academic side, there will be a round table discussion on the preservation of film archives and the legacy of Mexican film. Juan Carlos Rulfo, a prestigious movie director, will offer a class on the subject: “Producing Films on a Small Budget.”

FEPADE has just published a special pamphlet called Conciencia Electoral (“Electoral Conscience”), which explains the various rules, rights and penalties contained in the election laws. The hope is that the press and the public will know the rules and be able to report any irregularities. In the announcement of the publication, FEPADE asked that the three gubernatorial candidates make sure their election workers respect and follow the rules and that government officials and employees not engage in partisan politics.

Separately, the acting mayor of Acapulco, José Luis Ávila Sánchez, attending the presentation of the FEPADE publication Conciencia Electoral, insisted that none of Acapulco’s city employees participate in electoral activities “during working hours.” He said, “We have reiterated with our fellow public servants that during working hours they cannot assist the campaigns, that they must direct themselves to the city’s needs and not to the candidates, as this could also hurt the campaigns.” The political opposition to PRI candidate Manuel Añorve Baños is watching Acapulco’s city government closely, as it is filled with his “people” (beneficiaries of political patronage). At the slightest hint that public resources are being used to support Añorve’s campaign, the Aguirre people will file complaints and create a lot of noise. Mayor Ávila, himself one of Añorve’s most faithful lieutenants, is trying to avoid any such problems. The Aguirre campaign is less susceptible to legal violations of this type, as the PRD governor has not supported the candidate, and few other PRD loyalists in governmental positions have rallied behind him.

Acapulco’s Trust of Tourism Promotion, through its director, Jesus Radilla Calderón, reports that $9 million pesos have been invested in tourism promotion in the most recent three months, mainly in the United States and Canada. He predicts an increase in international tourism for the end of the year, particularly from Canada. Target markets included New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Montreal and Toronto, which are origin cities for air flights to Acapulco. Radilla also announced that the fireworks show for New Year’s will be more spectacular than ever over Acapulco Bay, at a cost of $2 million pesos.

Local unions affiliated with Mexico’s main labor confederation (CTM) have also announced optimism that the economy is finally showing signs of recovery, and that is being reflected in tourism jobs in Acapulco. They expect that as many as 10,000 temporary and hourly workers will be absorbed out of the hiring halls and into the work force for the busy Christmas-New Year’s holiday.

State Secretary of Public Safety, Juan Heriberto Salinas Altés, announced Friday “Operation Tourist Safety, Winter 2010,” an initiative that includes 10,000 state and municipal police officers. The program, set to start on December 15, will increase police patrols in the tourist areas, not only to enhance a sense of security for the tourists, but also to reduce traffic congestion and confusion along the city’s main thoroughfares.

In a separate report, lending credence to optimistic expectations about tourism in Acapulco, the federal Secretary of Tourism last week informed that international tourists arriving by air had increased by 17.8% during the first 10 months of 2010, when compared to the same period in 2009. It is 6.4% better than the performance for the first ten months of 2008. This number comprehends all arrivals into Mexico, not just Acapulco. The clear implication is that the economic pall cast over Mexico in 2009 is starting to lift. Of the total of 8.24 million passengers accounted for, 60% came from the United States, 14% from Canada, and 3.2% from the UK. Argentina was the principal source of tourism from elsewhere in Latin America with 1.8% of the total.

CAPAMA is reported to have informed complaining citizens that the work will not be continued until the first weeks of next year, as workmen will not be available due to year-end vacations. Local citizens have vowed to close the open sewer themselves if CAPAMA does not return within the week, as they cannot tolerate the smell any longer.

Six other young men fell victim to armed violence in other neighborhoods outside the ridge that forms Acapulco’s amphitheater and the bay, each dying from multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by AK-47 automatic rifles and similar arms. One of them was identified as Juan Carlos Leyva Ramos, alias “El Pipis,” a recognized drug gang member. A tell-tale “narco message” was left by his body, written on poster board. The contents of narco messages are seldom made public. Two of the victims were a father and a son in Coyuca de Benitez, several miles north of Acapulco along the coast. They had been attending a party when gunmen intercepted them and shot them. The father was 53, and the son 20. The gunmen severed the ear of the father prior to fleeing. This small community has been especially afflicted by drug violence over the last several years.

The revelation came during a ceremony of delivery of new equipment to CAPAMA by the National Water Commission (CONAGUA). CAPAMA appears almost daily in news reports for its inability to supply water to several neighborhoods or to prevent excess water from leaking out of an antiquated distribution system. Díaz said "we cannot state exactly, but at this time we have detected 58 hidden leaks, which we will start repairing immediately. Some are large, others small. We have been checking in the first stage from Papagayo Park to Costa Azul, which is where we have the hidden leaks." He added, "We have many leaks all over the city, not just in that sector. Every day we fix between 30 and 40, but there are so many that we can not take care of them all promptly." Díaz added that he believes 40 percent of the potable water put into the system is lost to leakages. The equipment just delivered to CAPAMA is valued at $4.5 million pesos, including trucks, inspection equipment, and ultrasound measuing devices.

As concerns the supply of water for the high tourist season, he said that the largest part of the work has already been finished and we expect "that things will change from December on." Díaz said that "we have gone through almost six months of multiple problems, caused mainly by projects to change the water lines or to resurface existing roadways."

The restaurant is on land belonging to the federal government as part of Mexico's coastline. The remodel consisted of adding an access way and a bar, a steel structure that stands on four large, poured concrete footers in the sand of the beach. One of the main violations, apart from never obtaining a license or filing an environmental impact statement, was mixing cement for the floor tiles right on the beach, where the excess would be ditched directly into the waters. The inspector from PROFEPA said that "it was observed that there was no plan for the disposal of solid residues generated by the contruction. In the area next to the storage area a lot of solid waste from the concrete had accumulated, mixed with paper, plastic, iron and organic matter." No preventive or mitigating measures were being taken to avoid pollution of the beach and bay. Cement waste was being discarded right on the beach, and the toxic solid residues were being washed into the sea. The closure of the work site by PROFEPA will surely put the 100% Natural restaurant behind schedule for its re-opening. No further work can take place until the requisite permits are issued and the pollutants cleaned up.

The official saint’s day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12, but pilgrims, known as “guadalupanos,” begin organizing processions as early as December 1. For several days leading up to December 12, long lines of the faithful, often numbering in the hundreds, can be seen processing up and down the main corridors of Acapulco, carrying images of the Virgin, flowers, and other items of personal devotion.

The processions usually occupy one whole traffic lane. If that is all there is for vehicles, then the cars will just have to wait until the procession passes. Processions typically start in residential neighborhoods and proceed to a church, most often the large Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, on Avenida Universidad. The pilgrimages can indeed proceed for many miles and take several hours.

The less devout and more hurried elements of the local population generally take note of the annual guadalupano parades and try to plan their travel routes to avoid the inevitable traffic tie-ups. This is not always easy, as pilgrimage routes are often unpredictable.

After December 12, the devout next turn to “posadas,” the pre-Christmas practice whereby neighbors and families come together in each others’ homes to erect nativity scenes and get ready for Christmas. Often children gather ahead of time to reenact the arrival of Mary and Joseph at the inn, looking for lodging, or the searching of the shepherds to find the exact location of the nativity. They then process to the house designated as the posada, or inn, for that evening. “Posadas” usually runs from December 16 for nine nights to December 24.

The budget for the project was recently approved by the state department of taxation and finance. The amount is $2.3 billion pesos (approximately US$200 million).

The tunnel is currently being projected to carry three lanes of traffic in each direction. So far, neither design work, engineering analyses nor topographical plats work have been started. These requirements will be the first tasks to be launched when the tunnel project officially commences next year. No target date has been set for the completion of this massive highway project, but it is expected to take several years. The tunnel will be several kilometers long. If the tunnel project progresses in the usual manner, one bore will be opened first, containing three lanes, so that drivers can use the one side while the second bore is being completed.

Incidents of gunfire, street violence and murder occur almost every day in poor suburbs and the outlying communities near Acapulco. It is so commonplace that some newspapers hardly report on it anymore. City leaders are quick to reassure visitors that the violence is related to drug trafficking and does not spill over into tourist areas of town. That is largely true. Over time, the incidence of violent crimes in Acapulco has been about the same as for Los Angeles, California. It has typically been lower than for New Orleans, Louisiana. Surely the turf wars between drug gangs have caused a spike in the crime data, but those not involved in drug production and distribution have generally been safe. Law enforcement has become a more hazardous occupation, but the drug lords would have us believe it is because of corruption, and that when a policeman is shot, it is because he “sold out” to the wrong group.

The reality is much different from the impression created locally. In fact, the agreement was signed on Monday by Francisco Blake, Secretary of the Government of Mexico (SEGOB) and Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States. The program is called the “Trusted Traveler Program” and is basically a method for expediting border crossings of persons unlikely to be passing illegally or carrying contraband. In effect, it is a way of using fewer customs and immigration resources on frequent and trusted travelers, so that government personnel can focus on persons of dubious or unconfirmed intent. The so-called “Trusted Traveler” program has much more to do with entering the United States than being in Mexico. Part of the confusion arises from Homeland Security’s offical translation of “Trusted Traveler” into Spanish. They called it “Viajero Confiante,” which means “Trusting Traveler.” This explains why some hopeful tourism business people viewed it with such favor.

But a lot depends on where you get your information. The Secretary of Health of the State of Guerrero also announced an AIDs report yesterday, in recognition that December 1 is “World AIDS Day.” In the state report, Guerrero ranks seventh in the country overall, with 6,017 registered cases since the data started to be collected in 1983. The difference in the two reports results from considering different periods of time. The numbers show that 231 new cases of HIV-AIDS have been registered year to date, which is consistent with the 6 month figure announced in the INEGI survey. The peak year was 2004, when 441 new cases were reported. Since then, the incidence has declined, largely because of public health education and the distribution of free condoms.

The greatest number of new cases were reported in Acapulco, followed by Costa Chica, then Costa Grande. But on a per-capita basisthe figures show different results. According to the INEGI survey, the small county of Zapotitlán Tablas, in the Southern Sierra Madres of Guerrero, was the place reporting the greatest incidence of infection and deaths from AIDS. In general, the study concludes that HIV-AIDS is a greater health hazard in the small mountain communities than in the larger cities, like Acapulco, mainly because of poverty, ignorance and a low or non-existent level of health care.

Another conclusion of both research efforts is that the gap between the incidence of the disease in men and women is closing. In 1998 the death rate from HIV-AIDS in men was 8.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, while the figure for women was just 0.9 per 100,000. In 2008 the figures are 9 and 3 respectively. In Zapotitlán Tablas, the death rate in women was the highest observed in the state: 19.4% of infected women died during the year.

In the last two weeks Vicente Trujillo’s vacant land on the hillside above Acapulco’s bay, on the east side, has become controversial; there the press discovered an Illegal deforestation of protected tropical trees. The City of Acapulco had started clearing land so that Trujillo’s property could connect to a public roadway, thus increasing in value several fold. Evidently in an effort to avoid public disclosure of the cozy arrangement, the City chose not to seek the required environmental permits. Then the public noticed the disturbance to the landscape, journalists investigated the causes. Throughout the incident Trujillo said he had nothing to do with the matter, but admitted that his real property was the destination of the connecting right of way.

When asked whether the deforestation incident had any influence on his decision to leave the city government for the Añorve campaign, Trujillo emphatically and credibly said no. Voters not only tolerated it when public officials mix their personal and public interests, they expect it; and in politics such actions serve more to measure a person’s competence, not his character.

The workshops and the positive image campaign will require an investment of $9 million pesos from the Trust for Tourism Promotion (FIDETUR), the Mexican Council of Tourism Promotion and travel industry partners like Expedia, Travelocity and Thomas Cook. Part of the program is to release 56 TV spots in the US and Canada, mainly on cable channels targeted at travel and entertainment.

Another task of the workshops will be to equip attendees to promote the several year-end events in Acapulco that attract special crowds, like the Regata Oceánica at the Yacht Club, the 56 International Rally Acapulco, the Robots Expo at the Convention Center and the sixth Acapulco International Film Festival. In 2011 the Tourist Fair will come back to the Convention Center in March, there will be a world diving championship, the Acapulco Tennis Open and the French Festival.

Finally, Rodríguez called upon the tourist sector to "close ranks" on the objective of caring for the visitors with hospitality and professionalism, now that the high season is practically upon us. "It is a new opportunity to show the entire world that here the tourists have fun and enjoy the beauty of the place in safety and with confidence."

Event organizers said that the event accomplished its purpose because the proposals were formally placed before the politicians, even though two of them were unable to find time for the business and civic groups in their campaign schedules.

After the formal presentation of proposals, Marcos Parra was asked by the press about the accusation by the PRI that the PRD was threatening violence on election day to suppress the vote. The PAN candidate responded that if the PRI had evidence of that, they needed to present it publicly. If they have such evidence and withhold it, they become complicit in the scheme. "Or they could just be lying," he added.

Investigation discloses no time during the current governor's mandate that he was seen in public with Senator Aguirre; on the contrary, there were several instances of evident tension between the two, especially considering that Agurre was in the opposition party at the time. Aguirre wanted to widen the highway leading out of Acapulco to the north towards Pie de la Cuesta, and Torreblanca interposed fierce opposition to the project. Later, when Aguirre changed political banners to run against Añorve, the PRD Governor publicly scolded his fellow party leaders for "selling the candidacy for a bowl of porridge."

Nevertheless, the PRD candidate says that the PRD Governor has always treated him with respect and cordiality. In their formal meeting on October 28, when the governor met with all three candidates seriatim, Aguirre says that the "distance" question was touched upon, albeit very implicit. "I said, 'I never did anything against your interests,' and he said that was right, and the same was true from his side. So there is nothing that really breaks us apart or distances or divides us. It's just that we see differently on some political issues. I respect that, and I am sure that he does, too, and that's all there is to that."

When asked about his relationship with Añorve Baños, his cousin and political opponent, Aguirre said that for his part there were no hard feelings, and that the two will have to mend the relationship after the elections. In the last analysis, the family is forever, and politics is, well, termporal. Aguirre is the godfather of Añorve's youngest son. He said, "We are not only cousins, we are compadres," in both the literal and figurative senses of the word. I'm sure he feels the same way."

Not only have the construction crews held up traffic for hours along one of Acapulco’s main arteries, they also broke one of CAPAMA’s main water mains, with the result that almost two-thirds of Acapulco had to go without water for over a week. CAPAMA has made a legal claim against the contractor.

Complicating the passage of traffic by the construction area is the extremely rough and uneven pavement and the large quantities of drinking water that have been flooding out of broken water pipes.

The absence of traffic control has not been explained. The city insists that two shifts of policemen have been assigned to the location for rush hour traffic control, but none were in evidence yesterday or on several other days in the past. Some speculated that until traffic police are given weapons and armored vests to protect them from drug violence, the patrolmen will not be assuming posts where they are especially vulnerable.

University officials are quick to add that no one is pressuring anyone to contribute; the voluntary payroll deduction is simply an option for those who wish to help out. The campaign is to indicate a number of days’ pay for the cause, from 1 to several.

Unsurprisingly, the political candidates for governor have made pronouncements of solidarity in the case of the disappearance of Contreras, even though the current governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, has requested that the matter not be made a point for political campaigning.

The suspension of operations by Mexicana de Aviación and its related affiliates probably had the largest impact on the drop in Mexican participation in its international air transport market. Another was the down-grading by the US Federal Aviation Administration of its appraisal of Mexico’s aviation security. This periodic appraisal not only covers passenger screening and boarding, but also examines the quality of maintenance and the age of the fleet.
The raw data for October, 2010 show that 1.59 million passengers flew into or out of Mexico during the month. This is an increase over the prior year of almost 1 percent. Considering that the Mexicana group accounted for 23% of international air capacity in the market (considering both foreign and national carriers), this is a surprising figure. In all, 297,400 passengers flew on Mexican carriers in October, a drop of 47% from the same period a year ago. Foreign carriers received 1.29 million passengers in October, up 28% from the previous year.

The residents called upon the embattled director of CAPAMA, Rigoberto Félix Días, to see for himself the conditions that more than 50 families are facing in the 30 or more buildings. They want him to see what has happened to their plumbing and to give them a firm date when service will be restored. Evidently that will not happen. Mrs. Hermelinda de la Cruz Nava, a resident, explained that the tinacos (large, black plastic cisterns) are all empty and there is no money for tank trucks. “And besides,” she said, “it is the company’s duty to give service to the citizens, especially when they have been paying their bills fully and on time. The fact is that we are desperate . . . out pipes are now stopped up. When there was no water, at least air came out, and now not even that. We are worried and have called CAPAMA so many times. They always say they are coming, but we are still waiting.”

Another neighbor reported that in August, CAPAMA’s operations manager, Baldomero Díaz Corbala, did visit the site, took notes and said the problem would be resolved “in less than one month.” The resident then said, “That was two months ago, and they haven’t even come back. They are irresponsible.” The promise of the current municipal administration of “Water every day for all Acapulqueños” would be laughable if it were not so tragic, the residents agreed.

When asked about the kidnapping of the former Rector of the Autonomous University of Guerrero, Arturo Contreras Gómez, the Governor responded that it seemed to him to be the work of common criminals. It should not become a matter for accusations or disputes in the political campaigns for governor. On Thursday the former Rector was kidnapped while out jogging, and later released unharmed. Press reports pointed to indications that a ransom was paid. Because Contreras is so strongly associated with Manuel Añorve Baños and the PRI in Acapulco, some speculated that the brief kidnapping was just an intimidation tactic or “dirty trick” in a hotly disputed governor’s race. Governor Zeferino was emphatic that the crime had no political motive, and that it should not be allowed to “contaminate the air” of the campaigns. He said that soon he would be able to release details that prove that view of the case.

Elsewhere in Acapulco, whole neighborhoods are clamoring for water service. “We can no longer afford tanker trucks,” said residents of Generación 2000 and Tamarindos on the west side of town. They have been without water for three months, ever since the water main entering those communities broke, and CAPAMA has not come to repair it. Even though the water utility has been incapable of providing service to these communities, it has nevertheless kept sending out the water bills, even increasing them by 30%. This has incensed the population. From their own pockets they must pay to have water trucked in. In some neighborhoods the streets are in such poor condition that the tanker trucks have no access, and the population must haul water from springs, much in the way of their ancestors.

Of the total, women slightly outnumber the men. For every 100 women, there are 95.5 men. The cost of the census, according to INEGI, was $5,450,713,905 pesos (around $450 million USD), implying an expenditure of $48.67 pesos per person, or about 10% of the expenditures made by politicians for each vote in an election. This year’s census realized savings of 30% over the 1990 survey of the population, and of 19% over the 2000 effort. The efficiency is said to come from the increased use of electronic counting methods and improved survey techniques. Overall, 190,000 temporary census workers were employed to cover all of the 2,456 of the country’s municipal subdivisions (counties).

The Diamante store involved an investment of $231 million pesos and will provide 100 more direct jobs. According to Mr. Saldívar, the multinational retailer opened its doors on the east side of Acapulco because of all the new construction and growth there, and the need for a reliable supplier of construction materials and home furnishings. He added that the store will supply state and local governments and offer as many as 20,000 different items to the general public. Mr. Saldívar is a graduate of Tecnológico de Monterrey and of Georgia Tech in engineering.

Around 100 women, dressed in white and carrying pink roses and placards, marched from Fort San Diego to the Zócalo, a distance of about 1 kilometer. The demonstration/parade started around 9:30 am. Signs read, “Stop Abusive Fathers; We demand respect for your children” and “Stop Discrimination Against Women: Equality in Politics.” The gathering at the kiosk in the Zócalo was punctuated by cries of “No more violence against women,” “No more homicides of women” and “No more abuse of children.” Rosa Rayo Macedo, president of a local women’s rights group known as the “Female Circle,” said that domestic violence against women was, unfortunately, on the rise in Acapulco. “There is a law that protects women from domestic violence,” she said, “but it is ignored in Guerrero, and this has caused an increase in the beating and murder of wives.”

In a separate event, the Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Mexico marched from La Diana to Papagayo Park to demand that violence against women stop, and that the authorities enforce the law and provide justice to women.

In parts of Mexico, by cultural tradition going back for centuries, husbands sometimes feel they have the right to beat their spouses with impunity, even to the point of murder. The situation is gravest in rural areas and poor urban neighborhoods. The women in the activist groups angrily accused law enforcement of being complicit because the legal right of women to their physical safety is so rarely enforced.

Tickets are free and available on-line at the website of the Orquestra Filarmónica de Acapulco or at their offices in Costa Azul or at the Casa de Cultura. See the OFA Directory Listing for contact info and location. Maestro Eduardo Álvarez begins his pre-concert chat with the audience at 8:30. The concert starts promptly at 9:00. Anyone over 8 years of age is welcome. Attendees are fervently requested to silence their cell phones for the event.

The travel agents are skeptical. They see the turmoil as orchestrated by a rightist government, bent on “privatizing” air carriers. First the private competitors drive public companies like Mexicana out of business with predatory fares, and then they raise rates and add capacity. Eventually businessmen with friends in high places are allowed to buy up the assets of the former state enterprises in private deals at bargain-basement prices. The travel agents point to the privatization of Tel-Mex into the hands of Carlos Slim as the model for such a strategy.

It is hard to judge objectively whether the current air travel turmoil is orchestrated, as the cynics suspect, or whether it is just a reflection of chronic trouble in a capital-intense sector of a capital-scarce economy. The certainty is that fewer tourists arrive in Acapulco by air because the price of an airplane ticket is now several times more expensive than a trip in one of the large passenger buses.

At the intersection of the overpass with Universidad, headed towards Diana or the Costera, the lack of traffic control is creating traffic jams and potential for accidents, as drivers from several directions jockey for an opening to cross. Lack of traffic control is also noticeable in Las Anclas (where traffic coming up from the Costera meets with Cuauhtémoc). Outbound city buses and colectivos swarm and double park there as they always have, stopping traffic in several directions and snarling the intersection. Because they do not care what happens to traffic, policemen need to be posted nearly full time at that location.

Today, the press reported Trujillo Sandoval’s denial that he was building anything on his property adjoining the botanical gardens. He did admit that he plans to construct a residential development of six lots on the plot, which will connect to the main road by a short street. He added that he acquired the land in 1997 from the Acapulco Land Trust (which manages city land), and that the same had already approved the project. The clearing of forest appears to be the first step in creating the lots and the right-of-way for the street. When interviewed in his office, he was not able to remember the name of the contractor hired to clear the land, but insisted that the work was legal, as it had been licensed by the Secretary of Urban Development and Public Works, who reports to him in the city government structure. In defense of his project, Trujillo Sandoval said he visited with his neighbors, the Botanical Gardens and the Loyola University, to inform them of his construction plans. He insisted that everything was legal. He did not, however, address the issue of environmental protection rules and regulations, saying that such details should be handled between the city government officials and SEMARNAT, the federal environmental protection agency. He said as far as he knew, they probably have started that process.

The politician and land developer asserted that the photo published Monday in the press, in which construction workers are destroying large tropical trees protected by SEMARNAT, was not taken on his property. “My property is a few meters higher up on the hill,” he said.

In her protocol visit to the city government, where she was received by General Secretary Vicente Trujillo Sandoval, Miss Canada said that ever since her arrival last Friday she was pleased to have visited so many charming parts of the town, from Boca Chica off Caleta, to Las Brisas, where she was able to view the Diego Rivera mural. She added that Acapulco is the number one tourist destination in Mexico for tourists, “the first one that I have gotten to know, a wonderful visit.”

When asked what the opinion in Canada was of Acapulco after the streak of violence, she answered, “my friends and acquaintances who come to Acapulco usually return because they are delighted by the scenery and the ocean, and most of all by the warmth of the people.” “Promoting Acapulco in Canada, she said, “is really very easy: I will share my feelings, my emotions and my experiences, and tell them how safe and beautiful it is.”

Miss Semikina was crowned Miss Canada on June 14 of this year. She is 26 years old and holds a degree in finance. She is 6 feet tall. The beauty queen is of Russian extraction, and added that Acapulco shares with her country the richness of a mixture of people from all over the world.

Interviewed in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Reina Iglesias did not agree with those in the tourism sector who have complained about a drop in sales during the low season. “The results have been good,” he said. “It is normal that visitors drop off in the low season, but it has not really been that way: just in this past weekend we had more than five large events: The Telehit Awards ceremony, Pedro Fernández in concert at Mundo Imperial, David Ghetta’s show in Acapulco Diamante; the arrival of Miss Universe Canada 2010; and the Exa concert in the Convention Center. We also had conventions, like Herbalife,” he added. This led to an 80% occupancy rate. “For that reason I cannot see why people say Acapulco is not doing well. I know that several discos, and I exclude myself, organized the Daniel Ghetta concert, which brought in over 6,000 persons, and even so, the discos I represent also had good attendance during the weekend. This is very acceptable for low season and bodes very well for the year-end.”

The accused was a friend of the deceased, who sold merchandise made in prisons from recyclable materials as part of a rehabilitation program. They met in prison. The accused, who was incarcerated for homicide, was released in October of 2007. The order of house arrest is to secure the whereabouts of the accused, pending the results of DNA tests.

Allan Dión and Figueroa Arriaga met on the night before Dión’s disappearance and drank heavily. A dispute ensued. Investigators for the District Attorney’s office allege that Figueroa Arraiga then attacked Dión, killing him, and taking a sum in excess of US$5,000 from him. The accused then drove the corpse to Tlacotepec and set fire to the body. The auto was found there on October 30. The victim had come to Acapulco to participate in a convention of small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Under the Mexican elections law, vote buying is illegal. Voters at the polls identify themselves by their voter or “IFE” card, a picture ID. Nevertheless, campaigns allegedly pay for the use of IFE cards from willing vote sellers. As insiders describe it, campaign volunteers present themselves at the polls with someone else’s ID card. To avoid problems, certain poll workers will be persuaded not to check the ID. Obviously, an emolument is involved. The price of a vote can be anywhere from a sandwich and a soft drink to $500 pesos, depending on who is the seller and how tight the election seems to be. Naturally, none of the money for vote buying comes from audited sources, nor is the expenditure recorded anywhere, so it is not subject to audit by the electoral authorities. The “budgetary” requirement has been estimated at between $30-$50 million pesos per 100,000 votes.

Locally, in Acapulco, citizens interviewed by Novedades de Acapulco opined that a century later the peasants are still being exploited, that violence still persists, and that the hard-fought revolutionary principles were established in word, but not in deed. Some of those responding to the journalists said that they felt the Revolution resulted in a change of taskmasters, but the tasks remained all the same; there was only a turnover in the membership in the elites. Others making comments were able to qualify that dour assessment: “That does not mean that the Mexican Revolution failed,” they said. “It symbolizes freedom and the struggle of the working classes to be independent, to stop being indentured to the large haciendas that seized their private plots and then kept them as slaves.”

In context, the Mexican Revolution in 1910 was the first of several worker uprisings for social justice, and, along with the Bolshevik Revolution seven years later, was among the bloodiest. It would take nearly 20 years for the civic fabric of Mexico to be restored to relative calm. Modern Mexicans, with no memory of that era, celebrate the national holiday as a chance to be proud of the Republic, with flags, parades, music and parties. Acapulco’s Costera Alemán is clogged with traffic and revelers. The beaches are crowded. Like national holidays elsewhere in the world, today is a time for relaxation, a time to take a break from working on the as yet incomplete agenda of the political movement that started one hundred years ago.

Acapulco acting mayor José Luis Ávila Sánchez announced that this year would be different. “Of course I shall present the government report, because Acapulqueños have a right to see the information,” he said. He added that the timing of the release is for the City Council to decide. This year the report will be especially interesting for politicians, as it covers a period when candidate Manuel Añorve Baños was mayor. “Unlike previous administrations,” he said, “we will not make this a public relations event, with special ads, radio spots, and the like.” He said that word of mouth will be sufficient to give the report the attention it should demand. “I’m not proselytizing,” he declared. “I am only complying with my duty as the head of the City Government.” The release will be made either in the Convention Center or in Papagayo Park. In all likelihood, Acapulco’s annual report will not be made public prior to the gubernatorial elections in January.

Sebastián de la Rosa Peláez made the formal proposal for the special investigative committee, reciting that “for the last six years, 350 families have occupied land where they set up modest living quarters. Subsequently the land was claimed by a developer, Residencias del Marqués, which obtained an eviction order by tampering with the legal process.” He added that the judge in question “has a fixation against the poorer elements of the population and in favor of business men and property owners with a lot of capital.”

The legislator also declared that the police units carrying out the eviction are reported to have used indiscriminate force against the families, and took advantage of the situations to pillage their homes and property.
The Committee expects to be able to make a progress report public in the course of approximately one month.

The museum’s ex-curator, Blanca Villalba Sánchez, said that the Añorve administration decided to close the museum without giving any reasons, in spite of a petition from the National Council for Culture and the Arts and support from other groups, including tourism organizations. Añorve’s Secretary of Social Development, Érika Lürhs, never officially responded to any of the requests, nor explained why the city government wanted to kill the museum.

During last year’s Nao Festival, the City used the museum for a temporary exhibition. Then, when the festival ended, the museum was locked and never re-opened to the public. Part of the explanation is that the city wanted to use the building for temporary cultural exhibitions in addition to being the “House of Masks.” The curator opposed such a plan.

For its part, the state water authority has explained that the terrain in the area is very rough and hard to dig in, thus causing delays and complicating efforts. CAPASEG insisted that the suspension of work was not due to a shortage of funds. Funds for this project come from an earmarked budget of $18 million pesos called “Comprehensive Clean Up of the Bay.”

In a press conference, Senator Ibarra came close to accusing the judge of corruption, saying that “if he is found to be guilty, he could be sanctioned for the manner in which he conducted the hearing.” She added, “Guerrero is the state where more violations of law are committed, but nothing happens because nobody does anything about it.” This gave her a segue to the “Dirty War,” waged against indigenous peoples by the military in the second half of the last century, a topic she raises often: “The majority of the disappeared people during the dirty war were from Guerrero; the many women raped by soldiers are mainly indigenous people from this state; and when representatives from civic and social organizations demand services, [the government] represses and persecutes them. In the worst of cases, they are jailed from which they disappear altogether, like Rosendo Radilla Pacheco [notable victim of the dirty war].”

The Senator then cited the violent beatings of the residents of “Expansion of Puerto Marqués” by the police, noting that the land on which the town stood had been purchased on June 25, 1997 by Daniel Morales Serrano, the community’s leader. He had previously provided copies of the sale and purchase contract to senators and to the press. In June of 2006 he supplied a copy of the contract to “Residencias del Marqués SA,” the company claiming ownership of the property. Nevertheless, its legal representative, Ricardo Villapando Ochoa, an ex-director of the Acapulco Land Trust (Fideicomiso Acapulco), filed a criminal trespass complaint, which led to the court-ordered eviction. Senator Ibarra wants to investigate how the judge could have ordered an eviction when in possession of the sales contract.

One resident called on acting mayor, José Luis Ávila Sánchez, to make a personal inspection of the neighborhood, to see the conditions they are living in, with no water for toilets, baths, laundry or cooking. Another called CAPAMA’s director, Rigoberto Félix Días, “a liar for promising in a public meeting in Zapata that he would immediately send personnel to resolve the problem, and would personally see to a solution. Two months later, neither he nor his people have set foot in the subdivision.” In spite of political promises by then-mayoral candidate Manuel Añorve Baños that Acapulqueños would have “water all day, every day,” residents say the situation has never been worse. “We are not asking for favors. We are just demanding that they live up to their obligations.” Now that Añorve Baños is running for governor, he may be discovering that “water politics” can be a two-edged sword.

Of the four proposals that received a commitment of federal money, the restoration of the historic Fortín Álvarez (the Álvarez Bunker) was most favored with a commitment of $3.75 million pesos. The beautiful Sinfonía del Mar, a seaside amphitheater near La Quebrada, will receive an acoustic shell, valued at $2.2 million. Without the shell, the forum is virtually unusable for presentations, given the noise coming up from the waves breaking below. The next phase of the reconstruction of the Teatro Domingo Soler, also near La Quebrada, will receive $500,000 pesos, and the Jazz Festival will be favored with $1 million pesos in federal funds.

Other modernization projects include the median in Avenida Cuauhtémoc in the Progresso neighborhood, and the repaving of Avenida Ruiz Cortines between Constituyentes and the Vicente Guerrero Hospital, both of which should be ready by the end of the month, according to the mayor.

Alvarado Arroyo added that one approach would be to link improvements in road infrastructure to the dam construction, like the stretch of highway from Pie de la Cuesta to El Conchero, the phase three improvements in Mozimba-Pie de la Cuesta, and the stretch of road from Cayaco to San Marcos in the Costa Chica. These projects add approximately $300 million pesos to the price tag.

PRD representative Ríos Piter added that the 2011 federal budget for Guerrero includes $400 million pesos for the “Guerrero Without Hunger” project and $70 million for the pilot program of scholarships for higher education of Guerrero’s youth. This program is a PRD-sponsored initiative that was first implemented in the states of Morelos and Chihuahua as a means of combating organized crime and preventing the emigration of youth from less advantaged areas of the country.

Poll workers are selected at random from the list of registered voters. An additional reason given for the low acceptance rate was that the voter lists are not up to date, and several of those selected had either died or moved away since the lists were compiled. The municipalities making up the fourth electoral district have been especially affected by shootouts between drug groups, including one recently in the zócalo of Tecpan, where one person was killed and several wounded. Atoyac and Benito Juárez are also part of the fourth district.

According to the union, the employer wrongfully rescinded the labor contract after having refused to comply with some of its terms concerning workers’ benefits. The union affirmed that in the ensuing law suit the court held in favor of the union three times over the 15 months that the case was pending, ultimately referring the matter to the Conciliation and Arbitration Board, where it has remained stagnant, implying corruption and collusion between the employer and government officials.

In a second instance of labor strife, school teachers have once again marched on the capital in Chilpancingo to protest actions by the state Department of Education (SEG). The teachers union, known as CETEG, blocked the streets providing access to the state legislature, as they have done several times in the past, this time for more than two hours. The grievance is that the state has declined to “reclassify” more than 2,000 teachers so that they would receive increased pay and benefits. School children once again spent the day without school or classes. The Department of Education announced that they were docking the pay of protesting teachers, as they had not reported to work. SEG director Manuel Suárez Ríos responded that the reclassifications have been delayed for lack of authorization in SEG’s annual budget. A teacher is entitled to “reclassification” once he or she has met requirements of longevity in a position and certain academic standards. Other complaints relate to hours in the work day, travel expense reimbursement, and the use of law enforcement to repress protests by employees of the State Department of Education.

Official figures indicate overall hotel occupancy at 70.8% for Acapulco during the holiday weekend, a few points higher than expected. The municipal authorities pegged the number slightly higher, at 75.2%. The Diamond Zone reported the highest occupancy, at 87.2%, with the Golden Zone only slightly behind at 78.1% and the Traditional Zone down near 35%.

SEFOTUR head Ernesto Rodríguez Escalona was pleased with the results of the long weekend, declaring that this augers well for a solid year-end vacation period for the port city. Meanwhile, restaurateurs reported a drop to about 40% of capacity for the holiday. In hard times, many tourists avoid the bars and restaurants and purchase supplies at local supermarkets instead.

The campaign of the “Better Times for Guerrero” coalition behind Añorve, comprised of the PRI and two minor parties, received a boost when city council member and PRD party leader Maritza Villanueva García, announced her support for the former mayor of Acapulco. For many insiders this did not come as a surprise, as she had consistently voted in support of Añorve’s initiatives in the council meetings. According to a statement from Villanueva García, the stress fractures within the PRD are caused by the fact that the “Aguirristas” are running the show, even though they are all recent arrivals from the rival PRI party. The Aguirre campaign is being given a “false face” as a leftist movement, when really it is just a protest movement from PRI elements unhappy with the Añorve candidacy.

In response to criticisms from adversaries that Acapulco’s official vehicles are being used in the former mayor’s gubernatorial bid, Añorve responded, that if employees, in their enthusiasm, put Añorve stickers and posters on the vehicles, it was certainly without his knowledge or consent. “They know the rules,” he said, “and they know what the penalties are.”

Finally, echoing prior statements by interim mayor José Luis Ávila Sánchez, Añorve answered critics of the current chaos in water supply by CAPAMA, saying that these problems are all the result of negligence and underfunding by previous (PRD) administrations in City Hall, and not something that took place on his watch. The issue is a sensitive one for the Añorve campaign, as improvement in water supply was one of his main camapaign promises, and, while CAPAMA has indeed undertaken new investments and attempted to improve supply, long water shortages still persist in many parts of the city.

In spite of the government’s denial, federal Senator David Jiménez Rumbo (PRD) said he had precise information that as many as 40% of foreign tourists, mainly from Canada, have canceled their reservations in Acapulco, Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa, and coastal points in between. Senator Jiménez explained that he understood why, for political reasons, the administration of Zeferindo Torreblanca Galindo finds it “inconvenient” to admit unpleasant facts publicly. However, he felt obliged to investigate the extent of the problem. When asked to comment, Soberanis Nogueda suggested that the senator stick to promoting tourism instead. “Promotional activities are adequate to maintain a satisfactory level of hotel occupancy. We have the reservation reports,” he said.

Adolfo Van Meeter Roque, tenth criminal judge in Guerrero, signed the court order ordering the evictions. According to Daniel Morales Serrano, the community was covered by a protective order, so that the court order and the evictions carried out pursuant to it, were illegal. He also said that a formal complaint will be lodged with the National Human Rights Commission.

As of yesterday, the former location of the community, which is a field of about 13 hectares (approximately 32 acres), was surrounded by cyclone fencing, and guarded by state police. Heavy earth-moving machinery was at work inside the fence line, bulldozing what remained of the houses. A small church and a central marketplace, also part of the community called “New Expansion of Puerto Marqués” were razed. The evicted families are now living on the sidewalks and alleyways of the town of Puerto Marqués.

As concerns the court order of Judge Van Meeter Roque, the spokesman said that the eviction order was contrary to law, and “an unconstitutional decision because a protective order was already in place in a federal court, in the district where an appeal was pending.” The law suit in the federal court was filed by a company called “Residencial Puerto Marqués,” owners of the land, to evict the squatters. According to the community representative, the plaintiffs lost their case, as the appellate court held it to be untimely brought.

The guides pointed to the fact that Acapulco has 254 hotels of one or more stars, totaling 26,800 hotel rooms, plus 135,000 condos and timeshares. Twelve arrivals per week is scarcely enough to fill a small fraction of that capacity. They also pointed to the unfair competition from private homes in Las Brisas and other luxury neighborhoods. “These people arrive by their own means, buy things at the supermarkets, and leave without using the local transport and restaurants, and without supporting the tourist infrastructure one bit,” they complained.
The guides pointed to “pirate” (unlicensed and unregulated) tour guides, using their private vehicles for transport. They offer the same services as we do, but do not pay fees and taxes, and do not offer tourists any security against being exploited. The federally-licensed guides have not raised their fees in eight years, largely because of the unfair competition. Meanwhile, the prices for gasoline, parts and tires have all gone up.

Today the beaches are crowded with thousands of tourists enjoying the sun and warm weather. The recent cold snap in Mexico City and other upland areas has helped to attract visitors to the warmth and sun of Acapulco. Many come for the charm of the beaches, with the desire to rest and relax, more than to engage in patriotic festivities. Nevertheless, fireworks, parties and other patriotic festivities are planned for Sunday and Monday along the shoreline.

Dozens of large excursion buses are parked along the streets around Caleta, Parque Papagayo and “El Morro” near Diana and La Condesa. One full lane of the Costera has been dedicated to such parking, causing traffic to move slowly along the Costera Alemán in the tourist areas, but no one seems to be much bothered by it.

Traditional areas of tourism, such as the point where cliff divers plunge into the sea at La Quebrada and the docks where excursion boats take visitors on moonlight cruises of the bay, are brimming with activity on this, one of Acapulco’s busiest tourist seasons of the year. Even though advance hotel reservations had reached only 55% occupancy in Acapulco before the long weekend, the hotels appear to have filled up satisfactorily with guests who arrive without making plans ahead of time.

When asked about the ongoing investigation of the incident, the director general replied that very little information has been forthcoming so far. “The focus is technical, like the analysis of the shell casings. But many bullet holes can be seen in the offices, and our colleagues who lived through the event never really were aware of the magnitude of the problem.” He said that those responsible for the intimidation obviously do not want “dissident voices” because in Guerrero, “those in de facto power have a lot of presence and influence, and basically, “if the society does not react to it, if they do not mobilize and defend their journalists, it will be very hard for an independent press to survive.”

The Mexican office of the High Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations, through its director, Javier Hernánez Valencia, condemned the attack on El Sur and demanded that state authorities pursue and punish those responsible. In a message dispatched to the United Nations, Hernández Valencia wrote that “this act of aggression is a blatant effort, an unmistakable message, designed to muzzle the media by intimidation.”

In Chilpancingo, the Secretary of Government of Guerrero, Israel Soberanis Nogueda, condemned the attack and reported that the Governor has instructed state attorney general David Augusto Sotelo Rosas to commence a formal investigation into the matter. He also indicated that the governor has spoken personally with the head of the newspaper to assure him of the solidarity of the government in completing a full investigation. When asked about the possibility that the attack had its origins from within the government, Torreblanca said, “I categorically reject any notion that the government would take aggressive action against El Sur.”

As rumors spread throughout the day yesterday, worried parents arrived at the schools to take their children home early. Older students in secondary schools and colleges also became alarmed and abandoned their classes. Even though no violence took place and every rumor proved to be unfounded, and even though the public safety officials denied any basis for the panic, many public and private schools suspended classes from yesterday afternoon through today. Evening classes at local colleges were also suspended last night. In schools that remained open, the attendance was very light.

Though the hysteria appears to have started in Zapata and spread quickly through the poorer neighborhoods in the higher terrain on the periphery of the port, ultimately every part of the city felt the fear and unrest. The State Secretary of Education called upon all families to remain calm and to continue with their normal routine, being careful not to repeat false rumors and reports. The government prosecutor’s office confirmed that no incidents against school children had been reported anywhere in the city.

Unoccupied private land in the region surrounding Acapulco often attracts squatters, called “invaders” locally. Often many families of squatters will set up an entire shanty town, complete with electricity, running water and cable TV. The houses are usually palapas or shacks covered with cardboard, asbestos board or tin. Streets and alleyways emerge among the houses, giving the place a resemblance of legality. But if the owner later comes to reclaim control over the land, the confrontations can be violent. Squatters are often fairly simple people, who either do not understand that they have no legal right to build or they simply ignore the legal aspects.

That was the case yesterday in an area of Puerto Marqués north and west of its town center, off the “Scenic Highway” that connects the community with Acapulco.

The eviction raid started at 9:00 am. Eventually a helicopter appeared overhead for several hours, providing orientation to the police on the ground. The operation was also supported by fire department vehicles and ambulances. The squatters watched as the police destroyed their houses and tossed furniture, appliances and personal belongings into dump trucks. Vehicles were towed away. Clothing, dishes, curtains, toys and TV’s were scattered on the ground all over the place. The police barred the men from returning to their dwellings, for fear that they might have weapons. Women were permitted to return in small groups to gather what they could. Many of the dispossessed men and women were injured in their attempts to prevent the police destruction.

Meanwhile, from Las Brisas to the traffic circle of Puerto Marqués, traffic was backed up and snarled because of the road closings ordered by police to isolate the trouble. For several hours the tourist areas of Diamante and Puerto Marqués were effectively inaccessible to anyone but local inhabitants.

Around 2:00 a group of youths local to the area started attacking the police with stones. Eventually, after efforts to calm the youths failed, the police donned riot shields and helmets and counterattacked the group with their nightsticks, injuring several. The violence spilled over onto the beaches of Puerto Marqués, causing the few tourists who were there to run for their lives.

Uniformed personnel used the market on Puerto Marqués’ main street as a meeting point for briefings on the operation and to organize backup. As a result, a nearby elementary school suspended classes for the day, and by 10:00 am virtually all of the businesses in Puerto Marqués had shut their doors and pulled the curtains.

Violence associated with evictions such as this one derives from the police policy of zero tolerance with interference. According to Jorge Ochoa Jiménez, a local attorney interviewed by the press, a strict eviction procedure is necessary to establish the rule of law, to protect the environment from the garbage and unsanitary living conditions of squatter villages, and to encourage investment in real estate development. The "Rule of Law" is not much honored in the process: Ironically, the main complaint from citizens is that the police and fire personnel rob, for their personal use, the possessions of those being evicted.

Around 10:20 last night, an employee of the newspaper arrived at the building on Vasco Núñez de Balboa. He saw two suspicious-looking SUV’s parked out front. As he went up the stairs inside, he heard hurried footsteps out front, so he rushed to the editorial room to warn his colleagues. At that moment the first sounds of the AK-47 were heard against the front of the building. Everyone left the editorial area for rooms that could be closed off securely. The gunmen entered the editorial area and continued their gunfire attack, hitting desks and walls. Around 25 shell casings of 9mm and .45 caliber were later found on the floor. The gunmen sprinkled gasoline around, in an evident attempt to set the building on fire. The employees remained in their refuges for about 10 minutes, in fear of being discovered by the gunmen. One by one they returned to the editorial room when it became clear that the gunmen had abandoned the building, leaving behind them two cans of gasoline. The criminal investigation is on-going to determine why the gunmen went to the paper, and also why they left when they did, with their mission apparently incomplete.

Thirteen years ago, a thousand travel agents attended. Last year, 350 came. This year, the number was 40. The attendees pointed to one culprit as the Acapulco Hotel Association (called AHETA from its full name in Spanish). They charged $1,600 pesos per person, even though all hotels, restaurants, discos and tourist services provide their services for free to the visiting travel agents. Another fault was the organization of the event, said to be “pathetic.” The organizers themselves tried to explain the low attendance by fears of recent violence in the port. Antonio Sánchez, an attendee who has come to the event for its entire history, replied, “That is a lie. Yes, we want to come. There are travel agents who do want to come, but then they charge us a conference fee so high that many of us cannot pay it.” Veterans of the Acapulco Tourism Fair in prior years declared this one a failure, especially since the organizers missed a great opportunity to counteract the negative publicity about Acapulco. The fair was said to be poorly promoted and that information was not available to the target audience. Sánchez added, “They could have sent 1000 agents back to Mexico City with the message that Acapulco is safe, Acapulco is clean, that it has marvelous sun, but, pardon the expression, they don’t give a damn.” Acapulco is in fifth place among tourist destinations in the Mexico City market, after Cancún, Huatulco, Riviera Maya (Tulum) and Puerto Vallarta.

In a press conference, Governor Torreblanca commented on how the campaigns were going. He said that he felt that they “are developing as usual with the candidates making their best efforts.” He added, “What most interests me personally is that there be a lot of spirit and participation on the part of the larger society, and so far, that has not happened.”

When asked what measures would be taken to fulfill President Calderón’s request that the accounting for campaign funds ensure that no “narco-money” enter the picture, the governor replied that “You need to analyze who the candidate is, that is the easiest thing, where he comes from, and how he lives his life. When I was a candidate, I did that. [They should] make public statements of where their money comes from and how they support themselves, so that there’s no shadow of a doubt about it.” In addition, he thought it appropriate that the political parties reveal what mechanisms they are using to protect them from any sort of infiltration by criminal organizations.

The governor’s previous request to candidates that they not use the subject of public safety as a campaign gimmick also came up in the press briefing. The governor clarified that so far he is unaware of any candidate who has made the matter an election issue, and that he was “merely suggesting that on that subject, we should all of us come together in agreement. The issue of public safety should not be used divisively. It is not the property of one party or other. We are all of us experiencing the problem.”

The Society has calculated that in the Americas in the last six months, 14 journalists have been assassinated in an attempt by criminals and politicians to control press reporting. Of these, half took place in Mexico. Five were killed in Honduras and two in Brazil. Rivard added that President Calderón has shown a willingness to make changes in the situation, “federalizing” crimes against reporters and promoting a policy of press protection. Nevertheless, the climate of impunity continues. President-elect Marroquín stated that the SIP supports the idea of “one large defensive push” against drug trafficking and organized crime, in Mexico and in every other country.

The society also considered a related issue of freedom of the press and expression, namely the efforts of politicians in some member countries to control what the press is permitted to say to the public. Uruguayan representative Claudio Paolillo of Búsqueda magazine pointed the finger specifically at Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Outgoing president Danilo Arbilla added, “That is the great threat, even if it seems frivolous. The other [the assassinations] is transitory” by comparison to state control of the media. To the list of countries where the press is not free he added Argentina, Cuba and Nicaragua.

The Interamerican Press Society’s next meeting will be in Lima, Peru in October of 2011.

The residents in the upslope neighborhoods called upon CAPAMA’s current director, Rigoberto Félix Díaz, to explain what is really going on inside the parastatal entity, or otherwise to resign. “These officials are earning millions of pesos and do not even know how to do their jobs,” they said.

For its part, CAPAMA announced another suspension of service for 72 hours, not 15 days, as the citizens had reported. The cut in service will affect many neighborhoods, including Zapata, Renacimiento, Sabana and as far west as Mozimba. The CAPAMA director also said that unknown persons frequently shut off the supply valves without authorization in these neighborhoods, a practice on which he did not elaborate, but rather indicated that it was a continuing problem unrelated to the construction projects.

Not all of CAPAMA’s difficulties are in the neighborhoods on higher terrain. Residents in Las Playas, Costa Azul and Colosio, for example, also find themselves periodically without running water, though they are at sea level and near tourist beaches. Gubernatorial candidate Añorve Baños campaigned for mayor of Acapulco mainly on the promise of restoring water service to the city, and yet the problems persist. Reasons usually provided by the water company include fouled pumping stations, decrepit transmission facilities, and highway construction projects. The electric utility, CFE, periodically cuts of power to the water company for lack of payment.

The president of the Mexican Employers Confederation (Copamex), Fernando Vargas Lozano, called on those present to create a social compact between the civilian society and the government to combat the lack of safety and security, employing concrete measures to attack the problem at its roots, bringing an end to corruption and impunity and opening the way for the promotion of cultural values and the rule of law.

The secretary of the Citizen’s Observatory of Public Safety in Guerrero, Efrén Marmolejo Vega, asserted that the intervention of the Mexican army in the fight against drug trafficking should have been a measure of last resort, and that first the government needed to understand fully the phenomenon of organized criminal organizations. The rector of a local private university, Mario Mendoza Castañeda, made a proposal concerning crime prevention, arguing that the first measures taken by the present administration must be multiplied and reinforced by the underlying socioeconomic conditions. Cástulo Garcia Sánchez, president of the Guerrero Interfaith Council, said that the problem stemmed from a “broken society,” proposing, among other things, a department of social work for reconstructing values, especially within the various police departments.

Guerrero’s governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo was in attendance. He admitted that in Guerrero it has taken a lot of time to change the structure and mentality of the public safety forces, and he reported that a movement is underway to consider the feasibility of one unified police force for the state. The Governor said that public safety is everyone’s responsibility and requires a continuous and permanent effort. “I assume my responsibility,” he said, “whether it be at the municipal, state or federal levels. My government is working towards it.”

The representative of the journalism community, Marco Antonio Aguileta, agreed that the problem arises from a “social decomposition” that originates from within the family, to the extent that people now view the commission of serious crime as “normal.” He said that in 2008 around 150,000 youths between 12 and 17 tried to take their own lives, and more than 25,000 required medical attention, while 1.4 million reported having thoughts about self destruction, and in 2009, 350,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 29 made attempts on their own lives. Victor Ruiz, the psychiatrist of the Autonomous Metropolitan University, interjected that there is an increasingly strong connection between juvenile suicides and the violence generated by drug runners and those commanded by organized crime. For that reason, all efforts should be undertaken to implement preventive measures and to use the media to spread the word about them. Karla Garibo Muñúzuri, of the Grupo ACA, suggested that more opportunities for youth should be created, as well as a citizens’ manual so that parents can identify signs of drug use and take steps towards rehabilitation and cure.

Miguel García Maldonado, representing the Bar Council of Guerrero, pointed out that legislation is pending to fight “money laundering and financial terrorism,” and that the same should be implemented immediately.
Several other representatives of civic groups and private citizens added suggestions, mainly centered around educational programs, economic opportunity, the re-establishment of family values and the separation of law enforcement from politics. The president of the College of Criminal Defense Attorneys in Guerrero called for modernization of the police forces and a general purge of officers who are associated with the delinquents. He alleged that almost half of the police are connected to organized crime in some way.

"The question of qualifications is most serious,” he said, “as many officers are overweight and suffer from degenerative illnesses.” He added that the government administers “tests of confidence” to police elements, including polygraph test, but “more than 1700 city police and over 500 state police have not yet passed these requirements.” Each test takes about four hours for the battery of five tests, and the polygraph specialist can only test two persons per day.

General Salinas Altés advised that so far, “the state police have not been the victims of organized violence, nor have they been infiltrated by criminals, nor do they have links with criminal organizations.” He admitted that there have been a few problems with security chiefs in the Social Rehab Centers, as “they come into direct contact with the delinquents.” The firings that have occurred in the state corps were for flunked drug tests, and a few others for their links to organized crime. The public safety director also recognized that during the present administration crime rates have risen among the city police forces, but “Guerrero, in spite of all the circumstances, is above the national average… number 14 among the states.” Of the different regions of the state, Acapulco is considered a “red light” area, having overtaken Tierra Caliente, which historically has been an area of heightened drug activity due to its isolation and its proximity to neighboring Michoacán. According to police studies, criminal activity is usually confined to the mountains of Guerrero. The recent turf battles of warring narco gangs has placed Acapulco in the spotlight over the last two months.

This time of year is especially dangerous for the rare species, as the adult females need to come ashore to lay eggs, and the hatchlings need to survive long enough to make it back into the deeper waters. According to PROPEG, 400 Laud tortoises came to Guerrero’s coast in 2009 to lay eggs. This year that number has dropped to 135.

A secondary threat to the tortoise population is the increased incidence of a peculiar species of jellyfish, known as “Salpa Máxima.” It emits a chemical that can paralyze a tortoise, resulting in the animal’s death by drowning. Sea Tortoises are also endangered because poachers steal their eggs in the mistaken and mythical belief that they provide enhanced sexual prowess.

The crowd was estimated at around 50,000 by Aguirre supporters. It made its way slowly down Cuauhtémoc to the Zócalo, where the “Aguirrista” campaign was officially inaugurated with speeches by nationally known and respected figures, including the celebrated governor of the Federal District, Marcelo Ebrar Casaubon and the governor-elect of Oaxaca, Gabino Cué Monteagudo. Other recognizable politicians, notably Luis Walton Aburto of “Convergencia” and the national leaders of the PRD, were in attendance. PRD legislators and some cross-overs from the PRI also took part in the festivities launching Aguirre’s campaign for governor.

The march was punctuated by more than speeches. At one point, mariachis joined the festivities, singing El Rey (“The King”). They were joined in the chorus by the thousands of supporters of Ángel Aguirre.

In a curious twist, the current governor of Guerrero, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, did not attend, even though Aguirre carries the banner of the governor’s political party, the PRD. For months it has been rumored that Zeferino prefers the candidacy of his friend and former colleague, Manuel Añorve Baños of the PRI; the governor, however, has been careful to maintain, at least in public, a neutral posture in the election, a situation that has been awkward at times for all parties involved.

García Rojas noted that “Acapulco is a city with a supply of rooms to fit any budget, and that timeshares are an important part of this diversity of available options for tourists.” She added, “They bring second residences, which do not necessarily have a low season, into the tourism market, and with their usual minimum stay requirement of one week, they would greatly improve and clarify the picture we have of occupancies in Acapulco.” The secretary noted that in the previous municipal administration there was no interest in this subject, nor in working with AMDETUR or other forums in which it is possible to “join forces to promote the port and maintain the quality that causes the tourist to return.”

The singer recommended that the youth of today first fall in love with their own roots, so that they can later focus their minds and emotions to bring to life artistic expressions. The national sentiment can be revived through the arts; she said, “it seems to be that being the rich country that we are, it is terrible to think that we will only be happy if el “chicharito Hernandez” scores or doesn’t score a goal. I love soccer and goal-scoring bicycle kicks; but I also love the indigenous languages that we have, I love the native-embroidered dresses, and also the sunsets in Acapulco.” Her Thursday night show in Parque Papagayo was to show the closeness of the Oaxacan and Guerrerense cultures.

The police participating in the demonstration also demanded the firing of local Public Safety Director Héctor Paulino Vargas López, whom they accused of failure to send support to the traffic police who were murdered, after they had requested backup support over their radios.

From 11:00 am yesterday on, around 100 members of the Traffic Police corps arrived at the city’s office, abandoning the streets of Acapulco. Traffic snarled for hours along Cuauhtémoc and the Costera, and normally frisky bus and taxi drivers were left to their own devices, causing over 10 accidents in different parts of the city.

After 40 minutes or so of protesting, a committee was received by the Mayor, José Luis Ávila Sánchez, who spent about three hours with them in meeting. Then, at 2:45 the protesters left the city office to go punch out for the end of their shift. The mayor committed to supply the police with armored vests, arms, and to provide $500,000 pesos each to the families of their four fallen comrades. Protests are likely to continue until some sort of life insurance is provided for traffic patrolmen.

In a separate statement, the mayor expressed his deep regrets for the murders of the four policemen by criminal gunmen. In addition to arms and armored vests, the city will provide 20 new patrol vehicles and radios for patrolmen, all of which are expected to arrive by early December.

Yesterday morning at 8 am, forensic experts of the state attorney general’s office, began the excavations, together with agents of the district attorney’s office in Coloso and the state Public Safety Department. Marines and soldiers encircled the area. The land is in the rural countryside, about a kilometer from the road between Tunzingo and San Isidro Gallieno, in the hills above Acapulco, towards the Tres Palos Lagoon. On Tuesday, two executed bodies were found in the location. The putrefying remains had been put in black plastic garbage bags. The Forensic Medical Service [coroner] removed them to perform autopsies. The grave was about 8 feet deep. The forensic excavations will continue into Thursday.

Yesterday, a video was posted in YouTube in which two men reveal that Carlos Montemayor (aka “El Charro” and “El Compadre”) was the person who ordered the kidnapping of the Michoacán 20 on September 30 from the traffic circle in Costa Azul and that they were buried in a mass grave in a rural area outside of Acapulco. The attorney general investigators identify the two as the ones found on Tuesday near the mass grave, killed execution-style. Police sources indicate that Montemayor is the substitute for Édgar Valdés Villareal (aka “La Barbie”) who was the local boss of the Beltrán Leyva drug cartel, and who was arrested in August. The video lasted 1:09 minutes. The men in the video say that the plan was to take the Michoacanos to Cuernavaca, Morelia, but things got too “hot” for them with the mobilization of police and soldiers. The bodies were thus ordered buried near the village of Tres Palos. The motive for the killings, according to the video, was that the “Michoacan Family” had taken from Beltrán Leyva the territory of Ciudad Altamirano. The two men seen in the video appear to have been beaten, and their hands are tied behind them. They were interviewed by a person off-camera, who asks why they killed the Michoacanos and where they buried them.

Acapulco had the greatest number of employed persons with 144,661, followed by Chilpancingo with 41,101, Zihautanejo with 29,718, Iguala with 28,698 and Taxco with 23,531. These five municipalities, the largest in the state, account for 64.1% of all employed persons in Guerrero. The numbers may seem low when compared to the total population of the municipalities in the state (approximately 20%), but the data do not reflect all the “off-book” laborers that support the informal sectors of the economy, which fly under the radar of the governmental authorities.

In “Colosio,” a working-class neighborhood near Acapulco Diamante, around 5:00 am yesterday, one bullet-sprayed SUV and two other burned-out vehicles were found along the development’s main street, after residents had called police with reports of heavy gunfire. The vehicle with bullet holes had been reported stolen on October 30. Bloodstains were detected inside. Just a few yards away, two burned-out vehicles were found, together with several shell casings from a 7.62mm automatic rifle. Yesterday afternoon, in an overgrown area, the bodies of two adult males were found, killed in execution style, together with a message from a narco gang.

In a related incident, police received an anonymous tip on the emergency telephone number 066, indicating that the bodies of the missing “Michoacán 20” could be found in a hidden grave near the community of Tres Palos, north and east of the Coloso suburb. More than 150 marines and soldiers were dispatched to the location, but nothing was turned up.

The more than 500 in attendance at the Plaza de Armas of Fort San Diego heard about the more than 80 events planned in venues like the beaches, the Acapulco Center, the Juan Ruiz de Alarcón Theater in the Convention Center, the Teatro Domingo Soler, the Parque Papagayo auditorium, the “La Reina” park and Fort San Diego itself. The Acapulco Philharmonic offers a special concert on Friday, November 5 at 9:00 pm in the Convention Center. Other performers scheduled include Guadalupe Pineda Susana Harp, Erick del Castillo and the National Dance Company. This year for the first time, the festival has a website. It is Festival de la Nao. On October 31, the municipal government put a calendar of events on an interior page. It is the only public source of such information on the Internet, just in time.

The campaigns for the Guerrero statehouse will end on January 26, 2011, making the campaign “season” a mercifully short 84 days. The PRI candidate, Manuel Añorve Baños, uses the slogan “Better Times for Guerrero.” The coalition includes two minor parties, PVEM (green party) and Panal. His only real contender, Ángel Aguirre Rivero, is a former PRI legislator who left the party because he sensed he could not have his party’s nomination. He was embraced by the opposition PRD, which has formed a coalition with Convergencia and the Workers’ Party. Their banner is “Guerrero Unites Us.” Ex-mayor of Taxco, Marco Efrén Parra Gómez, is running on the PAN ticket. This is the ultra-conservative party of current President Felipe Calderón. Like most right-wing third party candidates, he is expected to garner a few votes, but not be decisive in the election, not even as a “spoiler” for Añorve and the PRI, who are early favorites to prevail. Four other candidates have registered to be on the ticket.
The importance of the “official” opening of campaign season is that each candidate is now entitled to spend just under $52 million pesos during the next 84 days. Only half of the amount is available now. The remainder is released half-way through. An additional $33 million pesos may optionally be raised by each party from private sources. Just like the US, these private sources can be just about anyone, without individual donation limits, and no requirement to identify themselves. The global spending limit is monitored by the Federal Elections Institute through an audit of the parties’ expenditures.

The current governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, has offered to each of the three major candidates an armor-plated automobile for his protection, as well as police escorts and bodyguards.

Añorve will begin his campaign tomorrow in Tixtla, placing flowers at the base of the statue of General Vicente Guerrero, and then will proceed to Acapulco for an official opening. His opponent, Aguirre, will begin in the small town of Teloloapan in the northern part of the state. Parra will kick-off his run for the statehouse in his home town of Taxco.

The government agency was careful to state that these figures do not include the “non-hotel supply” of accommodations, which usually means the “informal” renting of rooms in guest houses. In a sense, hotels also compete with the tens of thousands of time-shares and vacation homes (and villas) in the hands of absentee owners, who either arrive for the holiday or let friends use their places. Judging by the traffic on the Costera Alemán, the city seemed very crowded over the weekend.

In a comment on the impact of the case abroad, Sergio Salmerón Manzanares, who promotes Acapulco’s Playa Suites Hotel in the Canadian market, said that such horrible events totally undermine promotion efforts for the port city. The violence in Acapulco “renders useless any promotion whatever if we cannot create confidence for the tourist. [It is] not only this event; everything that is going on in the country and on the border, the whole context of instability, torpedoes our whole promotion effort. If we cannot guarantee the safety of our visitors, we are out of business."

Standard time will continue until Sunday, April 3, when at 2:00 am the clock will advance to 3:00 am. This is three full weeks before Easter, which comes late in the month on the 24th.

In Tlaquilzinapa the Nahuas started out at El Calvario, a representation of the crucifixion scene, where a rosary was said and songs sung by families of the departed. “Day of the Dead traditions are very ancient,” said Ofelio Aguilar, chanter and spiritual leader of the small village, “so at midnight on October 27 we meet in the church [after praying at El Calvario] to receive them. But the chanting actually starts on the 24th with praise songs that speak of the dead.” Most of the people congregating in church on the 27th are the women, who come with baskets under their arms, containing offerings of bread, jícama, tamales, mandarins and oranges, squash, and corn. An essential part of receiving the dead is the candle, the flowers and the copal (a local aromatic resin) or incense. The candle is to “light the way of family members who have gone before us.” At 1:00 am sharp, there is a candlelight procession back to El Calvario, where the faithful chant and pray along the way. At the destination, an altar is placed for the cross, and a rosary is said to welcome the faithful departed. For two hours the vigil continues. The melting candle wax, in Nahua tradition, is said to be like the “tears of joy or sadness that flow, either to be remembered or forgotten.” At three in the morning the procession returns to the town, “with the faithful departed” in attendance, some to their homes, others to the church again.

In earlier times, the young boys would then go through the community gardens and steal squash, jícamas and corn to offer them at the church. The leader gave them a pot in which to cook the stolen fruits and vegetables, and gave the sugar, while the boys looked for contributions of honey from those who kept hives. Then everyone present got to taste the mixture. Leader Aguilar lamented that nowadays, that tradition has been lost.

October 31 is the vigil, when first we remember the children who died. Then November 1 is for the adults who died. We raise their altars with beds of banana plant leaves, their candle, their sprays of flowers, bread and tamales. We offer prayers for them at night and in the morning. Said Ofelio Aguilar, “I have 26 departed ones to care for, and for each one I try to put out their candle, a piece of bread or two, their fruits, tortillas and huaje salsa, but a lot depends on how much money I have.”

Some criticized CFE for worrying about inaccuracies in less than 5% of its meters, when clandestine, unmetered, “pirate” energy is so rampant. Gómez Cárdenas responded that the CFE is not ignoring the problem; however the remedy involves an investment of tens of millions of dollars. This investment is being made, over three years, to accomplish projects like armor-plating all low tension lines to prevent clandestine splices. Another is to provide formal service to 23 neighborhoods described as “irregular,” meaning the only way they can obtain electricity is to steal it, as public utilities do not yet extend to them.

Even the naïve can smell the odor of a government deal in the dropping of all charges. Half the population of Acapulco could have linked the defendant to the event that snarled traffic and virtually shut down the city for over a day. The press published little else at the time. While it is true that Moreno held no union office when the blockade occurred, his official capacity was not a necessary part of the charge. Since prosecutor incompetence cannot possibly be the explanation, the only other reasonable choice is that the government has made a deal, and most local commentators go with that choice. To avoid further obstruction and violence, the government has negotiated with CETEG, and one of the conditions appears to be the dropping of all charges against Moreno. By making a deal with a union prepared to commit illegal acts against an innocent population, the government has now set a precedent for every future labor dispute with public employees.

By contrast, Acapulco has benefited from the arrival in October of ten cruise ship arrivals, up from last year, and expects to welcome fourteen more in November. The month’s last cruise ship, the Maltese-flagged “Infinity” of the Celebrity Cruise Line, docked yesterday in the port with almost 2,000 aboard, half passengers and half crew members. After several hours in port, it set sail for Huatulco, Oaxaca at 6:00 pm. “Infinity” will return on November 17, together with “Crystal Symphony” and “Rotterdam.”

Mata Montiel added that the efforts of the Attorney General are to prove, in a way, that Mexico has complied with the decree of the International Court of Human Rights concerning the period of oppression, “but in our submission [to the court] we assert that the government has not complied with the decree, as we have not found the remains of Rosendo Radilla Pacheo and the others who disappeared, and that the efforts to locate these victims should continue in that location, where they were last seen alive.” AFADEM will hold gatherings in University City in Mexico City on November 10 and in Acapulco on November 17 and 18, as well as others, “to keep alive the memory of the events and of the victims.”

One measure of the return to normal activities is the fact that all air travel between Mexico City and Acapulco is completely sold out. Mayor José Luis Ávila Sánchez, in a press interview prior to the meeting, said that the town is counting on very close cooperation among all the law enforcement elements available, including military, federal, state and municipal police to make tourism as “pleasant, safe and secure as ever.” He said, “We are professionals in giving attention to the tourists,” and reiterated that everyone is “following their normal rhythm of work. The tourists keep coming, and they are content and secure.”

In a separate interview, the Guerrero State Secretary of Public Safety, Juan Heriberto Salinas Altés, confirmed that more security has been put on alert, and that military police patrols are planned for the outlying, less affluent suburbs of Acapulco, where the gang violence has been most evident.

Upon leaving the jail, he proceeded to union offices of the Acapulco-Coyuca region, where he was met by Gonzalo Juárez Ocampo, the union’s general secretary, together with 70 of the CETEG’s top leaders. “The size of this aggression, the scale of the intimidation, shows their fear of us and the power of our numbers,” said Juárez. “We are independent of the government and of any political party or candidate,” he added. “CETEG has the structure and power to fight for its demands and to confront the power of the State. They wanted to show that they could bring CETEG to its knees, passive and manipulated. Today we have shown them that they cannot.” The secretary general continued, “we have a truce, and we hope they comply; but if they do not, we will return with even more strength and organization, more convincingly, to confront these government policies.” He concluded, “What happened to Félix Moreno could happen to any one of us.”

Moreno then told the group, “If the imbecile of a Secretary [of Education of Guerrero] says that I am dangerous, he will have to find out that others are even more so, like Elba Esther Gordillo or any other [public] servant among us who has dedicated his or her life to making proposals for education.” He warned that any educational reform in Guerrero will result in a massive firing of teachers.

Today Moreno Peralta will have a court hearing involving the government agents who are accusing him of violating the law during the 2008 blockade of the Costera Alemán in Acapulco.

Ángel Aguirre Rivero, a coalition candidate of most of the parties opposed to the PRI, campaigning under the slogan “Guerrero Unites Us,” was the first to express his support, on the condition that the inhabitants of the flood plain would be benefited by an improvement in their way of life. In other words, he did not “favor progress at the cost of human dignity.”

Marcos Efrén Parra, the PAN candidate, equally stressed the condition that the families most affected by the dam construction be able to “educate their children” and participate in the economic development that the dam will enhance.

The PRI candidate, Manuel Añorve Baños, was less committal, stating plainly that “no one can be against development,” but that “we must respect the will of the people. We need a reconciliation [of conflicting interests], and that is the proper role for government.”

Each of the three candidates were interviewed by the press as they emerged from their private meetings with the current governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo.

The workers say that 54 Mexicana aircraft are in the hangars at the Mexico City International Airport and that another 14 are in Guadalajara. What the workers do not understand is that if lessors do not have free access to their aircraft, they will no longer lease airplanes to any Mexican airline. International insurance facilities will no longer insure aircraft in Mexico because of the high country risk. Mexico will be relegated to the same class as the failed states in Africa where the rule of law is equally disrespected. With an average second-hand price of about $50 million for narrow-bodies and $100 million wide bodies, no Mexican-flag transportation company will be able to stay in the air. So much for the wisdom of "protecting" jobs by disobeying the law.

In response, acting mayor of Acapulco, José Luis Ávila Sánchez, called upon law abiding locals to avoid nocturnal activities because of the crime wave. He also called upon the drug gangs to go look for another place to conduct their conflicts, “because in Acapulco, we´ll just keep on working.” In an interview, the mayor said that of the 25 murders by drug warriors, only one seems to have involved an innocent bystander. “The message is that we should keep on working, not stopping our activities, but to avoid going out at night when possible. We should not lose sight of the fact that it is our work that enriches our city.”

The state governor, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, also commented to reporters in Chilpancingo that the spate of recent violence in Acapulco is the result of a “disintegration in the organized crime groups because of the lack of leadership, and for that reason, a loss of power in their usual turf.” The group, “La Barbie,” has been considered strong in southern Guerrero, but with the capture of the group’s leader last month, competing drug gangs have come to town to try to fill the leadership vacuum. When questioned about possible police involvement in the disappearance of the “Michoacán 20” on September 30, the governor replied, “That corruption exists, is certain. I admit that not all the members of the police force are clean. We need to continue the cleansing process to eradicate that situation.” However, he would not say anything further about the incident: “We can’t find them. They have disappeared, but we cannot say they have been kidnapped or killed, because we do not know. This case is not closed, and soon we will have an answer. But until then, neither the governor nor the legal authorities can talk publicly about their ongoing investigations. Their status is 'disappeared.' Their families say they were in Acapulco for innocent purposes, and for now the government cannot arrive at any different conclusion."

The main concern is with antibiotics, which, if taken without proper medical supervision, can lead to strains of illness that are resistant to the drugs currently available. Thus, the sale of antibiotics without physician authorization or supervision creates an especially worrisome public health hazard.

Reporter Héctor Briseño for the Jornal de Guerrero, published today that the withdrawal of the union members from three of the four occupied government offices was an attempt to bring about the release of former union boss Félix Moreno Peralta, jailed for his involvement in previous union demonstrations in Chilpancingo and Acapulco, when the main public roadways were blocked for several days, bringing traffic to a standstill. In a curious twist of logic, the union argued that the “true criminals” still roam the streets, and that the law is being applied in an unequal manner against the union. Leaders called upon governor Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo to release Moreno Peralta because they have ended their unlawful occupation of three of the government offices. The union leader was arrested Sunday. Bond was set at $300,000 pesos. The union is trying to put together this sum in order to free their well-known organizer. Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office is proceeding to prosecute the union for its unlawful conduct, all of which creates an impasse in the negotiations. A union spokesman threatened that if negotiations with the government cannot be resumed, they will be forced to blockade the Costera Alemán in Acapulco again, a measure that they would prefer to avoid, unless forced to do so. “Our struggle is not with the Municipality of Acapulco, nor with the citizens, but rather with the State Department of Education,” said Gonzalo Juárez Ocampo, the union’s general secretary.

Isidro Juárez Solis, known as “El Quirri” and a known local boss for the organized crime group “La Barbie,” was arrested a few days after the event, and revealed to authorities the intentions of the rival group from Michoacán. Relatives of the twenty kidnapped men rejected this version of events, stating that it was just a ploy to clean up the image of Acapulco at the cost of the reputation of the victims. One family member, Katiuska Rodrígues Ortiz, an attorney and the niece of five of the men, said that eye witnesses confirmed that the kidnapping was carried out by police in uniform. On Monday, a national newspaper published an account linking the twenty men who disappeared with “La Familia,” citing state and local police investigators as their source. “The idea that they all arrived separately is false, and this can be demonstrated because [the bus] passed through 4 different police inspection points on its way here,” she said.

Arturo Latabán López, controller for the Department of Education, said that this exercise, conducted with several other public entities, caused the detection of 931 jobs that were incompatible with other jobs, but held by the same person. The UAG recovered 150 job positions that were still being held in theory by persons who had died, retired or resigned, and the checks were nonetheless being paid.

A person who is on a payroll without actually having to show up for work is called “an aviator.” Political patronage is often paid by means of these guaranteed fake positions, much in the same way as corrupt city administrations and labor unions have learned to do in the United States and elsewhere. Curiously, the Presidency of the UAG is a popularly elected position, with political campaigns and all that goes with them. Thus, it is subject to the same abuses as can be found in government subdivisions, unions and others led by elected officials and staffed by their appointees. Often the "aviators" stay on the payroll much longer than the term of service of the person who put them there, and periodically they need to be cleaned out by studies such as the one recently compiled by the controller's office.

“The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major drug trafficking routes. Nevertheless, crime and violence are serious problems. While most victims of violence are Mexican citizens associated with criminal activity, the security situation poses serious risks for U.S. citizens as well.”

In a related story, the state attorney general has issued 40 arrest warrants against members of the teachers’ union for their role in the blockade of roads and highways in Chilpancingo last week and for the destruction of public property, including the entrance ways to several government buildings.

The secretary general of state government, Israel Soberanis Nogueda, explained that the government has tried to be patient and not to use public force to enforce the laws against the actions of the teachers’ union CETEG, but the “utter disrespect” for the rule of law shown by the union leadership required some form of response, especially when the teachers are the “pillar of education of our youth.” “The teachers have every right to demonstrate in order to open a dialogue with the government, but we would hope that in those demonstrations they would respect the rights of third parties, of peaceful coexistence with, and the free movement of, the other citizens of those cities.” Even though negotiations had begun between the Guerrero Secretary of Education and the union leaders, the union continued to obstruct public roadways with its demonstrations. Soberanis Nogueda added, “Now there is an open dialogue on the part of the democratic government, which is listening to them; nevertheless, they continue to act in the same way as they did in the past.”

Professor Gutiérrez has published a book on the subject, the Spanish title of which means “Archeology of the Ancient Province of Tlapa from Ancient Times until Mexican Independence.” The book was commissioned by the anthropology department of the University of Colorado. Gutiérrez has studied the eastern regions of Guerrero state for more than ten years. He pointed out that the concept of Tlapa applied to the ancient kingdom, and not to the municipality or town as it does today. It included Huamuxtitlán and Alcozauca, places where numerous archeological remains have been found. His book lists 223 sites that include cave paintings, effigies, pathways with writing, pyramids, terraces and fragments of clay pots, all of which retell part of the region’s past. Even structures for playing the ancient game “Pelota” have been found.

Currently in the Tlapa region reside indigenous peoples from the “na savi,” “mephaa,” “nahua” and “amuzgo” tribes. Additionally many of African origin, related to slaves who arrived in Guerrero from Veracruz to establish lives as free men, still reside nearby.

When asked about the incident, Governor Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo said that of course there is no way to confirm that the ex-business and political leader had ties to organized crime, and it would be irresponsible on his part to speculate. He added that half of the 452 investigative police that serve in the State Justice Department during his administration have been taken off the roll due to death, disability or resignation, implying that it was the effect of drug threats and violence. He commented that it was time to consider a single, unified police force.

CFE Director Alfredo Elías Ayub told the newspaper Milenio that this is a priority project for CFE, and has been included in the state-owned public utility’s budget for next year. “Congress has already approved the project,” he said. “Now all we have to do is settle with the property owners, so they can see the many benefits this project will bring to all.” In the first Ibero-American Private-Public Meeting for the Development of Mexico, the CFE director pointed out that the village of Cacahuátepec had made a deal with the utility, and this was an important step in resolving all outstanding issues. Though other villages still remain to settle claims, the Cacahuátepec arrangement is a useful precedent, which justifies taking the project into the contracting stage. Under the arrangement, the contractor needs to find its own construction financing. When the dam is delivered to the utility, the latter will then seek financing for its purchase of the project in international capital markets.

The hydroelectric dam is about 40 km beyond the Diamond Zone of Acapulco. It will supply all the energy needs of the mountains and coast. In addition, it will resolve the chronic water shortages in Acapulco, according to Elías Ayub, and will stimulate additional investment that will in turn generate new jobs. Right now the focus is on working with state and local governments in resolving social questions related to the project and in aiding and supporting the communities affected.

In one of the videos, a man was shown with his hands tied behind him, seated on the ground, and identified as a member of the city police force assigned to Zapata, and a member of the “La Barbie” cartel. In the videos, heavily armed men make a three-minute announcement in which they name several police commanders and officers from the Acapulco force and the investigative police of the Ministry of Justice. The videos claim that these police officials were part of the “La Barbie” group and that they carried out the kidnappings on September 30.

The videos remained available for about six hours before YouTube removed them for violating the site’s content rules. The uploads coincided with an announcement by David Augusto Sotelo Rosas, a government prosecuting attorney, that more details of the official investigation would be revealed by today, October 21.

A similar initiative, accomplished five years earlier, resulted in the installation of seals and software to prevent illegal modifications of the meters. Without making specific accusations, the CFE believes that some meters have “failed to register actual consumption.” The objective is to reestablish service “according to the rules.” The police escort will keep customers from denying access to the meters or threatening CFE employees. According to CFE, 50 inspection teams will be reviewing meters in the five service subdivisions of the city. As the CFE is a federal entity, the spokesman said that in the case of irregularities or lack of payment, there will be no way the customers can make the CFE inspectors “look the other way.” “We will proceed directly to cut service,” he said.

Their activities will focus on the Sabana district, Coloso, Colosio, Zapata and streets around the Central Market. Director Hernández said, “In many cases the vendors do not respect the space reserved for vehicles, and also obstruct passage for pedestrians.” So far it has not been necessary to call upon the police to enforce the rules. In some cases the city employees have helped vendors relocate their merchandise to open up the streets and sidewalks for the purpose for which they were intended. The inspections are performed without prior notice. Even though most of the vendors will probably not obtain licenses, at least they will not block the way for the shoppers. Full legal compliance with the regulations is still a distant, and probably unattainable goal.

In theory, the Olympics are apolitical. Unsurprisingly, politicians could not resist showing up for photo ops and to rub elbows with Acapulco’s distinguished visitors. The president of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinosa, flew in by helicopter for the formal opening ceremonies. The governor of Guerrero, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, was by his side, together with current Acapulco mayor, José Luis Ávila Sánchez. The head of the Mexican Olympic Committee, Mario Vázquez Raña, extended a special invitation to the PRI candidate for governor, former Acapulco mayor Manuel Añorve Baños, thus giving the politician an implicit endorsement. At the head table for the event, Governor Torreblanca was the only person from Guerrero present. The others were Jacques Rogge, the president of the world-wide association of Olympic Committees, the head of the Mexican Olympic Commttee, and the governor of Yucatán, Ivonne Ortega Pacheco, who was in town to help Añorve’s political campaign against Ángel Aguirre. A place was also given to Berdardo de la Garza, head of the National Commision of Sports (Conade), a government entity.

At the opening ceremonies, the hosts played María Bonita, a well-known and beloved song composed by Mexican singer and songwriter, Augustín Lara in honor of María Félix, a storued actress of Mexican film. Once the speeches and congratulations came to an end, the dignitaries all departed, leaving the Olympic Committees in the quiet luxury of the Princess Hotel to complete their work.

Professor Urbán pointed to Renacimiento, Zapata, Costa Azul, and even the Diana Traffic circle as areas under constant threat of flooding. He added that new areas in Chilpancingo suffer from the same malady.

One problem, according to Professor Urbán, is that few long-term water table studies have been made. Even so, neighborhoods in Rena and Zapata flood almost every year. Others flood only when the Sabana river overflows its banks, but that can happen once or twice in a decade, the professor explained. “The river basin can double or triple in size at those times.” In addition to corruption, the professor cited changes in land use and errors in urban planning policies as causes for the chronic flooding of homes.

In Costa Chica communities like Marquelia, Copala and Nexpa, the problem is the lack of solid engineering data to determine the periodicity and size of the threat from unusually large water flow. He said, “In a large number of the river basins, we have problems that can potentially endanger all of Costa Chica.”

With respect to urban areas, like Costa Azul, a large part of the problem is the garbage, which clogs the antiquated system of storm drains, so that heavy rains frequently put the Costera under as much as two feet of water. The municipal government of Acapulco, under Manuel Añorve, has systematically been working to upgrade and clear the drainage system in Costa Azul to prevent the problem in ensuing rainy seasons.

Three weeks ago, 20 men from Michoacán state were kidnapped in the Costa Azul traffic circle by an armed group and carried off. With the thought that the captors were soldiers or police commandos in the war against organized crime, Caballero Rodríguez called upon all officials to “let them go” and to “come to a truce,” as the struggle is slowly costing Acapulco its livelihood. She did not go into detail about what sort of truce could be made. It is remarkable that the blame for the violence has been placed with the government and not with the criminal organizations.

The association president added, “We look sadly at the few businesses still open on the Costera, when at night Acapulco turns into a ghost town, and you hear only the sirens of the police vehicles.” She added that this show of force only terrifies the few remaining tourists, “who have been faithful to Acapulco for all these years.” They may decide to go somewhere else for their next vacation, “lest they fall victim to some act of violence.”

Costera businesses closing this month include Don Giovanni, Vesuvio, Las Delicias and Tacos Alex, beachwear store Copacabana (all of which are in Condesa), as well as a bar, Shake It, across the Costera from the Americana University in the Magallanes district.

In a press conference called by CROM, a confederation of labor in the Guerrero region, the state secretary, Federico Marcial Parral, made it known that 40% of its more than 4,000 members who work in tourism have been laid off and are on stand-by (in a system similar to a hiring hall) because activity has fallen to its lowest level in decades.

According to Mayor Jóse Luis Ávila Sánchez, the project, which cost $140 million pesos, is “89.27% complete,” and will be officially opened in ribbon-cutting ceremonies on the nation’s bicentennial day, November 20, 2010. The project commenced last April.

The decree brought about a reversal of legal tradition, as Mexico had inherited from Spain, via the Napoleonic conquest, the traditional body of Roman law, which formally recognized that human beings could be the private property of others. In its second paragraph, the decree went to the trouble of specifying that attempts at legal transfers were null, and that not only was it no longer legal to have slaves, but commerce in slaves would be equally punished. Considered the father of Mexican independence, Hidalgo was captured in March of the following year and executed in July of 1811. Full independence was not formally established until 1821.

Militants in the teachers’ union claim that the government has failed to pay the additional amounts of salary and benefits previously agreed to. Instead of the usual one month’s salary as a year-end bonus, they demanded 90 days, and now assert that the government agreed to 45. They also claim that the government agreed to a higher level of service for teachers from the ISSSTE (the government’s health and social services organization for workers) and an end to payment of salaries by bank card, which, they say, “is only a benefit for the banks.” A plan for a benefits package was agreed to as well, they say, and so far the government has left it unfunded to the tune of $40 million pesos.

In the past, government officials have responded that they have indeed complied with all terms formally agreed to, and that the union is just trying to re-negotiate matters previously settled. They also accuse the union leadership of creating trouble because the government seeks to end certain payroll abuses, like ghost workers on the payrolls and jobs in which the worker has a vested right his job, whether or not he shows up for work, with the ability to pass the position on to his heirs. Officials accuse CETEG leaders of acting mainly to advance their own interests, with little concern for the welfare of the vast majority of teachers, the school children, and the general public.

In the battle of words and marches it is impossible to confirm all the allegations slung by one side of the dispute towards the other; but as is often the case in Guerrero’s political disputes, some truth is likely to be found on each side. Even so, many claims may ultimately be seen more as myth than fact. The net result is that in Guerrero, where education is scarce and precious, the children are the ultimate losers in the periodic flare ups between politicians and labor leaders, not to mention the collateral damage to the tourism environment in Acapulco and elsewhere throughout the state.

The official PRI candidate is Manuel Añorve Baños, former mayor of Acapulco, who resigned to make himself available for the campaign. His coalition is called “Better Times for Guerrero” and consists of the PRI and the nearly invisible Green Party, believed by many to be in favor of environmental protection, but whose main function is to provide a coalition party for the PRI at election time. The tiny Panal, a one-issue party related to education, is the coalition’s third member.

The opposing group is headed by Ángel Aguirre Rivero, formerly a PRI member of the legislature, who seceded from the PRI, together with a small number of other dissidents. The main political parties supporting Aguirre are the PRD, the PAN and Convergencia. Given that the PAN and the PRD are on opposite ends of the policy spectrum (right to left), the glue that holds the coalition together is not ideology, but rather the common conviction that the PRI should not be permitted to take the statehouse over again after several years of being on the outside. (Before the PRD took over the office, the governor had always been a PRI loyalist, at least for the more than 60 years that the PRI controlled all politics in Mexico generally.)
Aguirre Rally

A rally of over 8,000 supporters of Aguirre over the weekend heard a speech in which Aguirre praised the “democratic principles and courage” of the dissident PRI party members who had seceded with him. Most of the coalition membership describes itself as “progressive,” meaning by that more liberal than the PAN or the PRI. This, in spite of the fact that the PAN is part of the group. Aguirre greeted the crowd with “revolutionary fervor” to the “most progressive forces in the State.” In an obvious gesture towards Marcelo Ebrard, the popular mayor of the Federal District in Mexico City, Aguirre advocated the adoption of “many of the successful programs of the government of the Federal District, which takes first place in the nation in combating social inequalities.” One of the more contentious of these policies is the authorization of gay marriage. Walton and Ortega, leaders of parties comprising the coalition, advised Aguirre. Walton said, “Make no promises you can’t keep,” in clear reference to Añorve’s campaign pledge to provide water to Acapulco. Some in the crowd responded with “No water!” Ortega added that Aguirre had to win over the political bosses, so as not to allow a return to the “repression, corruption and systematic violation of human rights” that he alleged had characterized previous PRI administrations.
Añorve Rally

In a rally of supporters at party headquarters in Chilpancingo, Manuel Añorve Baños officially received the mantel of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) for the office of governor of the State of Guerrero. The advantage Añorve has with the PRI is the backing of the affluent national organization, and the support of governors, mayors and legislators from many other states. The main labor organization in Mexico, the CTM, also has thrown its support behind the candidate. Governors from Chihuahua, Coahuila, Oaxaca, Colima, and Campeche also were in attendance, to show their support.

Some of the political speeches referred to the cleft in the party caused by the departure of Ángel Aguirre. The party president, Efrén Leyva Acevedo, praised the loyal militancy of those who stayed firm, who “with passion and courage have shown that they can defend their political institutions.” He added, “No one should doubt that we have the best candidate for the office of governor. He has a cool head, a clear vision, and he practices the values of our political culture, like democracy, dialogue, tolerance, and [the right of] petition.”

Leyva Acevedo continued: "'Better Times for Guerrero' has a national profile, with an ideology, principles and programs, with militant supporters, sympathizers and areas that are well prepared, unlike the opposition.” As for the opponents, he called them “a local political force, thrown together around the personal ambitions of one man, built with different ‘ideological bricks’ and which [in a pun on the first name of the opponent] goes about looking for fallen angels like the one who betrayed the Lord, as it says in the Bible.”

Añorve’s own message to the assembly was described by journalists in attendance as “desangelado,” meaning without a lot of grace. But the word derives from the idea of “removing the angels” from the mix, yet another pun on the name of Añorve’s opponent. Añorve chose not to make an impassioned political speech, like those who went before. Instead, he focused in a workman-like way on the tasks at hand: He said that he does not “seek power for its own sake,” but rather “to form a government that will serve the people.” He recognized that the task is difficult in these times. “Our government must change direction, to serve and attend to the needs of the people.” Apparently Añorve believes this to be novel idea in Guerrero politics that has not been tried before. News reports indicate that before Añorve finished speaking the crowd started dispersing, to return to their respective towns.

According to the institution’s vice-president, Tita Radilla Martínez, whose father was captured during the “Dirty War” and was never seen or heard from again, the investigation by the Attorney General’s office will focus on the former military base in Atoyac (now city property), mainly by the firing range. “Even though these are the same locations as were examined two years ago, we now have heavy equipment to help us, and we hope that something will turn up,” she said. Previous efforts, described as superficial, turned up a few buried human corpses.

The experts at the Attorney General’s office indicated that the investigation is likely to last from October 19th through the 29th, unless the preliminary findings justify an extension of the search.

An additional positive factor for the tourist trade was the presence of the Coral Princess cruise ship in the harbor, which remained until 8:00 pm on Saturday.

The average of 52.5% is composed of the following elements: Diamond Zone, 62.4%; Golden Zone, 52.1%; Traditional Zone, 39.3%. The figures for Ixtapa were 59.2% and for Zihuatanejo, 20.4%.

The Community Police, in celebration of its 15th anniversary, marched from the premises of the organization of coffee producers of Nueva Luz de la Montaña, to the center of San Luis Acatlán, bringing together regional coordinators and representatives of the villages of La Montaña and Costa Chica, together with several other country-wide organizations. The crowd numbered around 200,000 persons. The indigenous rights group known as the Regional Coordinating Group of Community Authorities (CRAC) took the opportunity to demand once more the return of all the “disappeared persons” and the restoration of local governing systems.

A minor incident occurred when the immigration authorities went through the crowd, checking documentation of anyone who appeared to be not Mexican. The INM authorities explained that their ID check was routine and just a coincidence that it occurred during the time of the meeting of the activist group. No serious conflicts arose.

In a statement to the Jornal de Guerrero, Cirino Placido Valerio, a board member of CRAC, said that the Community Police had completed 15 successful years of pursuing criminal delinquency even while being persecuted by the government with threats and intimidation, and that the indigenous villages had learned how to advance their interests without causing insults or violations. “It was a tactic designed not to provoke the Devil, but rather to keep on growing,” he said. He added that the Community Police had proved to be an educational experience, which no one could have imagined would have lasted this long. Though mistakes were made, the experience served mainly “to help form the basis for an integrated system of daily life, not only for justice, but for the adequate development of an internal market, because a village that is unable to feed itself has no future.”

When asked about Añorve’s campaign pledge to restore water service to all parts of Acapulco, Ávila Sánchez said that when the new city administration arrived in government, it found a completely dilapidated water infrastructure, and that without a magic wand, it would take time to construct new pumping stations. Two of them, El Quemado and San Isidro, are being rebuilt now. The investment has exceeded all historic levels, and will surely bear fruit, the Mayor said. He added that water has been pumping at 100% since last Sunday, when repairs on the broken 48” main were completed, thus supplying about 70% of the city’s requirements. As of Friday, only 5% of the population, representing 23 neighborhoods, was still without service. These areas finally received water in the course of the day.

The Mayor added that Acapulco has invested upwards of a billion pesos in upgrading the water supply, thanks to legislative authorizations permitting the municipality to have access to financial resources normally used for purposes other than infrastructure investment. He commented that part of the problem was caused by the padded payroll, inherited from previous administrations, in which 42% of those on the list were not actually city workers. He hastened to add that the payroll reform would in no way jeopardize the salaries and year-end bonuses of currently productive workers.

The long-standing technical definition in the industry for “tourist” is “a person who travels from his habitual place of residence to another for purposes of recreation or leisure, and who uses facilities provided for tourism at the destination.” Under this definition, the presence or absence of a hotel reservation would make no difference. According to the Hotel Association, only about half of the tourists arriving in Acapulco (other than at holiday times) travel with a prior reservation. They felt the Secretary of Tourism was not even aware of how the term is employed in the industry, and that she had insufficient experience or knowledge to act ably in her position.

The group further criticized the Secretary’s remarks for undermining the very objective of tourism promotion. “The idea is to provide security for all of society, whether or not they are tourists; nobody will ever know if [the 20 from Michoacán] were tourists or not; but the important thing is to not let anybody disappear when travelling to some tourist destination. That is the part fatal to the image," explained Salmerón Manzanares, local director of the Playa Suites. Others speaking to the press after their meeting added that they are receiving calls every day from customers and travel professionals who want to know what is going on in Acapulco, given all the press coverage on local violence. They commented, “All you can say is that the tourists who come feel secure and almost never encounter any problems. But that really only helps a little.”

The decision was seen as a victory of a coalition of three of the other major political parties: the PRD, PT and Convergencia. At the same meeting, however, the Board also approved sanctions against the PRD, Convergencia and also the PRI for failure to make accurate financial disclosures of their pre-campaign expenditures. The heaviest fine was levied on Añorve’s PRI, which had to pay more than $100,000 pesos for “serious misconduct.”

The representative of the PAN, Edilberto Rodríguez Valverio said that the PRI and its candidate, Manuel Añorve "systematically violated the law” and that the order to remove the ads will do little to remedy the situation, as we “continue to see the image of Manuel Añorve in all the public places and on all the means of transport, both public and private.”

Two of the board members, Agnes Betancourt and Jesús Hernández, abstained, saying that they were not sufficiently informed about the matter to be able to cast an intelligent vote.

Saldívar Rodriguez also points to a third factor, the heavy taxes, as well as the high commercial rates charged for water, light, phone and rental services. Even bank deposits are taxed. This sentiment was echoed by the Chairman of Mexico’s National Chamber of Transformation Industries, Paschal Romero García, who said that as many as 50 more closings can be expected in the fourth quarter because owners cannot sustain the costs of operation without a good influx of tourism. Of the 500 local members of his chambers, ranging from small businesses to hotels, he said 10 per cent will close their doors this year. Some may re-open later, but the overall picture is bleak.

Of special focus are tours related to Acapulco’s artistic and historical attractions. This month the “Danzón” will start again, where interested people can gather on Saturday and Sunday evenings in the Zócalo to dance in this traditional way. Classes on Cuban rhythms are also planned.

As part of the bicentennial celebration, Acapulco has also planned a series of exhibits of art and photography, including “Avitars of Villa,” a collection of Ambassador Edmund Font Lopez, and “The Roar of the Jaguar People,” an art exhibition by painter Marian Sempere in the Casona de Juaréz.

"We think that tourists will like finding informal musical groups playing in the Zócalo. This is a very agreeable tradition in our port city. Singing groups will also be giving recitals during the long All Saints Day weekend,” the Tourism Secretary added.

To combat the negative press in the United States, in which Acapulco has been associated with criminal violence, she also announced a “familiarization tour” for several tourism professionals and travel agents from the City of Los Angeles, showing them both the Diamond Zone and the traditional part of town.

“We are also promoting our commemoration of the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution, which will take place on the Costera with a large parade on November 20 at 10:00 am.” García Rojas added that the municipal government will continue its program of free entertainment for tourists and locals during November and December, including events on the beach, nocturnal parties, sporting events, contests, concerts and live shows. "And, of course, we will continue the tradition of the Festival of “La Nao” from November 1 to 6. We focus on promoting performances by artists who come from the Philippines, China, Thailand, India, North and South Korea, Indonesia, Spain, Turkey, Peru, Japan and Cyprus.”

The Secretary’s aim is to return to the days when Acapulco’s tourism was not concentrated in one high season or a few long weekends, but rather continued consistently firm throughout the whole year.

The 48” pipe carries two cubic meters of water per second and represents almost 70% of COPAMA’s supply to the city. Half of Acapulco’s almost 300 neighborhoods are without water. Originally the problem was to be repaired in three days, but it now looks like it will take up to a week to repair. The main areas affected are on the west side of town (Las Playas and Jardines to El Cayaco) and in the upland and outlying communities of Rena, Zapata, Colosso, Morelos, Fovisste, Colosio and Llano Largo. The government has ordered the delivery of water to these areas by tanker truck.

COPAMA has also detected discharges of sewage, along with “red pockets” of pollution in the Sabana River and Papagayo Lagoon, due to the accumulation of garbage and illegal dumping of sewage. Some housing projects do not even have treatment facilities, and discharge raw sewage right into the aquifers, further taxing the fragile system. As yet, it is not known how much grey water is burdening the water treatment process.

In Acapulco, classes and other events programmed for Tuesday were canceled in anticipation of hurricane Frank.