Crisis and compassion in the campo
By Sallie Latch (Apr 7, 2006)

It was obvious folks had heard good things about the Center for Global Justice's planned trip to Cruz del Palmar: The phone was ringing off the hook from early in the morning to late at night. Mostly, snowbirds were calling for reservations. Reluctantly, we finally had to limit the number to 32.

We headed for Cruz del Palmar early on a Saturday morning. Traveling by bus to a town that is only 14 miles away took an hour-the road was unpaved, very dusty and bumpy. Along the way we could see lots of cactus and the arid landscape typical of high desert areas. The gentle, rolling hills were so dry it seemed as though it had never rained there. Along the way we encountered many little chapels.

Our little bus kept on, lurching back and forth on the rugged road, passing a few donkeys and chickens, adobe and some brick houses and, here and there, recently plowed land, ready for the rainy season. Finally, we arrived at the community room of the pueblo where the community leaders greeted us warmly.

The purpose of our excursion was to expand the awareness of visitors who may not have had direct contact with campesinos, to see and hear directly from them about problems they are encountering and how they cope with these problems. It is rare that their voices are heard, and the Center for Global Justice wanted to give them this opportunity to explain their situation to norteamericanos. We know they have a story other than the one most of us hear from Lou Dobbs on CNN. The excursion was to provide the contact that the campesinos had asked for. They had been feeling isolated out in their community, left alone in their struggle to survive. It was hoped that our trip could fill this gap.

In our meeting we gained a wealth of information and insight about the plights this community endures. This could not have happened without the essential help of Atahualpa Caldera, who offered bilingual translation, as well as a wealth of knowledge about the local and international scene. We are much appreciative of his help.

Of course, we are also immensely grateful to the people of Cruz del Palmar who opened their hearts and shared their experiences with us. 

Through a series of questions, answers and discussions, we visitors learned about the local situation. The scarce water that is available is contaminated with bacteria and chemicals caused by the need to drill wells ever deeper into the aquifer below. Because of this, illnesses have increased, and agricultural production has decreased.

Farming is adversely affected not only by lack of water but also by the effects of globalization and NAFTA, which have seriously impeded the production and distribution of agricultural products. The economic realities for this community are harsh and leave few alternatives. One available alternative has been to harvest the gravel remaining in the now-dry riverbed. This gravel is collected by local men, in an environmentally sound way, and then sold to cement companies. A small income is derived from the effort. However, a few weeks ago, four of the men were arrested for conducting this work. 

At this time it is unknown how this issue will be resolved.

Another alternative for the campesinos is to migrate to El Norte in hopes of finding work there. A large percentage of the men and some women have done this. Some send money back to their families regularly, and some do so for awhile and then stop. Some return, some don't. While the men are gone the women particularly suffer great hardship; they must tend to the fields and otherwise create income for themselves and their families.

Our discussion continued for over an hour and a half, but finally had to be cut short (though there was still much to learn) for lunch. On our way to the picnic site, we took a short walk up a dusty path to the home of Sr. Sobrino, who, with great pride, invited us to his house filled with trophies he had won in many running races.

With equal pride he told us of the many visits to his home by Stirling Dickinson. As we continued on our way, we walked across a recently plowed field leading to our picnic lunch under some shady trees, cooled by a soft breeze.

The women of the pueblo had prepared a large, delicious comida for us that included rice, beans, green vegetables, potato pancakes, soy, tostadas, blue corn tortillas, beer, an alfalfa drink and much more. The "much more" was the warmth of the community members who joined us and extended their welcome.

After "thank yous" and words of appreciation were exchanged, we piled into our bus and headed back to San Miguel, traversing those dusty, bumpy roads, passing the little houses, chickens, donkeys pulling carts and plowed fields waiting for rain to come. It was a long day, and some folks nodded off as the bus headed back to our so different world of San Miguel de Allende, with its crowded restaurants, noisy bars, tiendas full of goods from Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Michoacán, the United States and elsewhere, not to mention the beautiful luxury homes and condos, some with swimming pools and large green gardens that need huge amounts of precious water. 

The comments Atahualpa and I received from those who joined us on our tour were overwhelming. Several people said the trip was the most important and meaningful thing they had done while visiting San Miguel.

One woman told me she could not sleep that night, thinking of all she had seen and heard and remembering the faces of those we met.

Many asked when we planned our next trip. The Center for Global Justice is planning future excursions to Cruz del Palmar and other towns in the campo. We also hope to work together to create ongoing programs for the pueblo that will increase their income and their quality of life. You can help. For starters, you can purchase a print of a painting of one of the women of Cruz del Palmar created by Sallie Latch. Half of the proceeds will go to the campesinos. It can be purchased at the Center for Global Justice or in the Biblioteca Pública Tienda for 250 pesos. The Center is located at Calzada de la Luz 42 and is open weekday mornings.

Solution to last week's Scotland Coast to Coast puzzle

After a few minutes, prisoner C reasons: "I know prisoner D is wearing a black hat, so if I'm also wearing a black hat, how come prisoner B doesn't call out the answer? After all, B would then be looking at two black hats and therefore know that he, himself, would have to be wearing a white one.

From Prisoner B's silence, Prisoner C correctly deduces that his own hat cannot be black. So he calls out the answer.