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From: Anahuak Home <redanahuak@...>
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 23:02:58 -0600
To: HealingNorthSouthForum <hns@egroups.com>
Subject: MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK

MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK
www.mexicosolidarity.org

MISSION

The Mexico Solidarity Network is a coalition of 88 organizations struggling
for democracy, economic justice and human rights on both sides of the
US-Mexico border. The Network believes that civil society must play the
leading role in development of these values. Civil society must develop as a
political force with democratic spaces that are outside of the
party/establishment context, but always interacting with this context to
force social change. The program of the Network increases grassroots
democratic spaces, and develops grassroots consciousness and organizing
skills. The program also increases effective contacts between grassroots
activists and politicians.

The program of the Network also reflects our commitment to developing
effective bi-national strategies within civil society to confront common
problems. Our program increases links between Mexican and US-based civil
society; increases educational opportunities so that people on both sides of
the border can better understand their common problems and can develop
effective strategies; and increases opportunities for strategic, effective
activism that will impact bi-national policies.

* * *

Mexico News and Analysis

MEXICO SOLIDARITY NETWORK
WEEKLY NEWS AND ANALYSIS
FEBRUARY 2-8, 2004

http://www.mexicosolidarity.org/news_feb02_04.htm

1. EX BRACEROS INVADE FOX RANCH
2. CHIAPAS LAWMAKER CALLS FOR EXPULSION OF FOREIGNERS
3. ZAPATISTAS CONDEMN FOREST DESTRUCTION
4. FOUR THOUSAND MARCH IN PUEBLA AGAINST FTAA
5. PAN COMMITTEE PROMOTES HALF OF "PRESIDENTIAL COUPLE" FOR MAYOR
6. SPANISH BANK MAKES OFFER FOR BANCOMER
7. TARRANT CLOSED CONFLICTED PLANT IN MEXICO
8. MSN PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS (WWW.MEXICOSOLIDARITY.ORG FOR DETAILS)

1. EX BRACEROS INVADE FOX RANCH
Two thousand former Braceros from 16 states invaded a ranch owned by the
family of President Vicente Fox, demanding the return of 10% of their
salaries deducted during the infamous guest worker program from 1942 to
1964. Protestors dispersed after Ramon Martin Huerta, under-secretary of
Governance, agreed to discuss Bacero grievances in a formal meeting this
coming Thursday. Former Bracero workers are increasingly organized on both
sides of the border, demanding return of money deducted from their paychecks
while employed in the United States for retirement programs that never
materialized. The Mexican government claims there is no evidence that US
banks ever sent the funds to Mexico. Legal actions are pending in the US
seeking information from Wells Fargo Bank that could shed light on billions
of dollars in lost funds.


2. CHIAPAS LAWMAKER CALLS FOR EXPULSION OF FOREIGNERS
Luis Gabrial Sanchez, a Chiapas state legislator from the Green Party,
called for the expulsion of dozens of foreign human rights observers from
indigenous communities in the Montes Azules bio-reserve. Sanchez accused the
foreigners of providing logistical and political support for Zapatista
communities under threat of expulsion from Montes Azules. Hundreds of human
rights observers, including this reporter, were expelled from Chiapas in
1997, but the Mexican government has largely assumed a hands-off attitude
since then.


3. ZAPATISTAS CONDEMN FOREST DESTRUCTION
On Thursday the Junta of Good Government in La Garrucha denounced the
wholesale destruction of forestland via officially sanctioned logging in
three PRI-affiliated communities in the canyon region of the Lacandon
rainforest. "We have been struggling for the defense of our natural
resources," said a member of the Junta. "The problem is in the forest. The
bad government permits private companies to destroy it."


4. FOUR THOUSAND MARCH IN PUEBLA AGAINST FTAA
More than 4,000 demonstrators marched through Puebla's historic central
plaza protesting a meeting of the hemisphere's deputy trade ministers who
are trying to breath new life into stalled negotiations on the Free Trade
Area of the Americas. The negotiations closed on Saturday with a vaguely
worded statement and several serious disagreements that prevented any
significant advances in the FTAA. Special and differential treatment for
developing countries, corporate agricultural subsidies, and market access
rules led a long list of unresolved disputes that pitted the US and Canada
against Southern countries. In the area of special and differential
treatment, the US argued for development assistance and capacity building
programs while Southern countries called for incorporating the issue into
each negotiating group with the goal of concrete actions, including
compensation funds in some cases. Special and differential treatment
arguments take into consideration the advantages in scale and economic power
that US-based corporations enjoy when competing with less powerful Southern
companies. Corporate agricultural subsidies are supported by the US and
Canada but condemned by Southern producers who cannot compete in export
markets where basic grains are often dumped at below the cost of production.
The question of agricultural subsidies sank recent WTO negotiations in
Cancun. The market access debate revolves around elimination of tariffs,
with the US supporting less comprehensive tariff reduction than Mercosur
countries. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for the first week in
March in Puebla.


5. PAN COMMITTEE PROMOTES HALF OF "PRESIDENTIAL COUPLE" FOR MAYOR
Members of President Fox's National Action Party (PAN) formed a committee
this week to back Marta Sahagun de Fox, the President's wife, as a candidate
for mayor of Mexico City. Sahagun, who reportedly has presidential ambitions
in 2006, denied any knowledge of the committee. In January she became a
member of the PAN's 300-delegate national council, a necessary preliminary
step to seeking the presidential nomination. Term limits bar Vicente Fox
from seeking a second term, but speculation is rife that the other half of
the "presidential couple" is anxious to hold the reigns of power. Many PAN
powerbrokers have a cool relationship with the President and have objected
strenuously to a Sahagun candidacy, perhaps accounting for the unofficial
mayoral committee.


6. SPANISH BANK MAKES OFFER FOR BANCOMER
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Spain's second largest bank, offered
US$4.1 billion this week for the 41% share of Bancomer that it doesn't
currently own. Bancomer is Mexico's largest bank, and the purchase would
cement BBVA's predominance in Mexico's increasingly profitable banking
industry. Bancomer controls a quarter of Mexico's credit market, nearly 29%
of client resources and 40% of all banking transactions. Competitor Banamex,
which is owned by US-based Citigroup, is Mexico's second largest bank.


7. TARRANT CLOSED CONFLICTED PLANT IN MEXICO
Tarrant closed its textile factory in Ajalpan, Puebla, on February 3, the
last of six Tarrant plants to close in a five month period in Central
Mexico, leaving about 5,000 workers unemployed. Fired workers met with
factory lawyers in groups of four and were forced to sign papers awarding
them only about two-thirds of their legally mandated severance pay. Three
workers affiliated with an independent union formed at the plant rejected
the severance settlement and insisted on a formal hearing before the local
labor board.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Administrative Office of the North American
Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAFTA's labor side agreement) accepted a
complaint filed by the Puebla-based Center for Worker Assistance (CAT) and
United Students Against Sweat Shops claiming that local labor boards
routinely deny legal registration for independent unions. A public report is
expected in four months, however, decisions by the National Administrative
Office have no legal standing or enforcement mechanisms.


8. MSN PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS (WWW.MEXICOSOLIDARITY.ORG FOR DETAILS)

February 14: Demonstration to demand justice for women in Ciudad Juarez,
Mexico.

February 27: Demonstration at YUM, Inc. (owner of Taco Bell) in Louisville,
sponsored by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. March 3-5: March to Taco
Bell headquarters from Los Angeles to Irvine, sponsored by the Coalition of
Immokalee Workers.

March 3-9, 2004: International Women's Day Delegation to Juarez, Mexico.

March 13-21: Delegation to Chiapas sponsored by the Mexico Solidarity
Network and the Chiapas Peace House.

April 2004: Women Confronting Globalization tour: Toronto, Florida,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa.

April 24 - May 2: Annual MayDay Delegation to Mexico City and Puebla.

July 25 - August 8: Women's Delegation to Chiapas and Ciudad Juarez.

______________________________________________________________________
For more information,
contact the Network at msn@...,
or contact our offices. 4834 N. Springfield
44-9355

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