The Border At Risk: The Expropriation of the Borderlands

Even before the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada, the border between Mexico and the United States had become a wasteland for North America. The strip of land that divides the countries had been violated by large corporations and their maquiladoras since the mid-1980s, bringing inequality, segregation, violence and contamination to the region.

Once NAFTA was in place, the corporations were able to impose and control their industries in Mexico “legally.” The backyard dump grew exponentially as did the amount of companies within a single area, causing health and contamination problems to become even greater.

With the arrival of the so-called [Mexican] “Government of Change,” neoliberal programs took on a much more powerful form, and previous plans of expropriation began to take off. Such projects included the Plan Puebla Panama, the Nautical Route, and energy producing initiatives directed by multinationals. However, many of these proposals were met with a strong civilian resistance.

Supported and promoted by the [Mexican] federal government, these various expropriation plans have begun to take place along the border states, putting at risk the biodiversity of the regions in addition to the indigenous cultures.

The Nautical Route: the first regional defeat

One of the proposals that the Fox Presidency has promoted the most is the Nautical Route in the Mar de Cortez [Baja, California]. This project has been on the presidential agenda for the past 30 years, under the false pretense of uniting the Gulf of California with the Pacific Ocean by way of marinas in order to advance nautical tourism. Although it had the antecedent of failure in Cancun, it was approved by the majority of the involved state gubernatorial leaders, and backed by FONATUR, (the national fund for the promotion of tourism).

The corresponding local governments allowed the development to pass all regulations, and with the silent support of the general population, in the year 2003 it was announced that the project was well underway. Nine of the eleven marinas that were projected to be built have been completed, and by 2007 the Nautical Route will be functioning.

As a publicist, FONATUR has become dedicated to buying land and the speculation of such property. The marinas are merely a background for the development of hotels, golf courses, airports, etc. (essentially another beach resort).

The “environmental community” organized consultations concerning the effects of the development that had more to do with the legality and “sustainability” of the project that were simply ingrained within the global and neoliberal framework. The Nautical Route became an excuse for activist lobbying, where environmental recommendations were made conditional. The Mexican government accepted all suggestions and the decentralized branch FONATUR continued to support it as well.

All of this took place with the regional environmentalists celebrating their “victory.” Meanwhile, the state began its campaign of buying land for the large hotel chains and five star resorts. All of this FONATUR initially said no to, but under the table negotiations gave way to construction.

With little resistance, (due in part to the fact that the general population didn’t understand the magnitude of the developments), and with the environmental community more preoccupied with lobbying, other similar projects started to become a reality. Not only did state governments approve these programs, but in many cases the same environmental NGOs and activists agreed with the proposals.

Energy initiatives along the border

The Gulf of California, a border region, is again being affected by the plans of the United States. In order to meet the energy demands of the border states (on the US side), natural gas plants are being built in Baja California, Sinaloa, and Sonora - all of which are in close proximity to the Nautical Route.

Conclusion

Although the federal government may deny any relationship between the natural gas plant initiatives and tourist development, the ultimate goal is clear. Aside from the expansive projects, North American corporations wish to extend their industries beyond the strip of land where they are already well established. They want to extract from the land its places of relaxation and energy, at the cost of losing one of the most important regions.

While the regional environmental community maintains a non-confrontational and collaborative position with the development, on an international level the problem is being minimized. The United States/Mexico border is a region with some of the most numerous environmental and social problems. The violation of the most basic principles is being committed everyday, meanwhile species and land are being destroyed, that in some of the cases are “protected.”

By Jorge Tadeo
Anarquista verde y Activista Comunitario
jthadeo @ biciverde . org

Final thoughts:
This development will include the following

17,000 new quarters of lodging
-10,500 in hotels
-4,600 in condominiums
-1,900 in villas and residences
-34 new golf courses

The development will take place in the following areas -
* Cabo Colonet (BC).
* Punta San Carlos (BC).
* Santa Rosalillita (BC).
* Bahia de Los Angeles (BC).
* San Luis Gonzaga (BC).
* Bahia de Tortugas (BCS)
* Punta Abreojos (BCS)
* San Juanico (BCS)
* Bahia Kino (SON).
* Huatabampo (SON).
* Altata (SIN).
* Teacapán (SIN).

There are many who are responsible, these are just a few:

San Carlos Bay Realty Services
US dial 011+52622 + 6629487001.
México dial 01622 + 6629487001.

The American Consulate General
Ave. Tapachula # 96
Colonia Hipodromo
22420 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

U.S. Consular Agency
Cabo San Lucas
Blvd. Marina Local C-4,
Plaza Nautica, Col. Centro
Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S.
C.P. 23410

Gobierno del Estado de Sonora
Secretaría Particular del Ejecutivo
Coordinación de Atención Ciudadana
Dr. Paliza y Comonfort
Palacio de Gobierno, Planta Baja.
Hermosillo, Sonora. C.P. 83260

FONDO NACIONAL DE FOMENTO AL TURISMO
Tecoyotitla No. 100
Col. Florida C.P. 01030 México D.F.
Tel.: 50 - 90 - 42 - 00

Resources:
http://www.escaleranautica.com/
http://www.bajaquest.com/escaleranautica/
http://www.fonatur.gob.mx/ventaster.asp
http://www.fonatur.gob.mx/_Ingles/ventaster.asp

------------

La Frontera en Riesgo: Expropiacion de la Tierra en la Frontera Norte
http://imctj.espora.org/news/2006/08/1516.php
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/07/18295346.php
http://www.geocities.com/incendiopublicacion/issue1/baja1.htm

the border at risk: the expropriation of the borderlands
http://www.geocities.com/incendiopublicacion/issue1/baja2.htm

Incendio
http://anti-politics.net/incendio