Overcoming Obstacles Phase 2

This is the electric post that convinced us to buy here instead of someplace else. It stands smack dab in front of the house and has provided not one bit of electricity to our house in the 6 years we have lived here.

First, Chuchi challenged our formation of the new mesa directiva, insisting that we had not registered it. This was not true. We were unable to obtain copies of the testmento (official register) immediately due to lack of funds to collect it from the lawyer, however, the mesa directiva was registered with the proper authorities in October of that year. When we received our documentation, we sent copies to Desorollo Urbano and the president of Moroleón, allowing them to deny any further requests made by Chuchi supposedly on behalf of La Yacata.

Stymied there, Chuchi then had another sort of testamento drawn up, giving himself special powers as he had been named the first president of the colonia. This document he sent to the presidencia which complicated the situation. Those offices do not want to be of assistance to La Yacata and therefore any sort of irregularity puts the stopper on negotiations, a pretext of non-involvement. Chuchi had also been told the same, and angrily sent out a notice that because of our involvement, the presidency has not given him the documentation to apply for electricity. If there were such documentation, we would have received it, but according to those offices, Chuchi was never given even promises that this documentation would be at his disposal.

Chuchi also has made comment, and as gossip it flew through this little town, that the mesa directive is not valid because I am a member, being both American (white) and a female. While it is true that I, as an immigrant, am not able to vote nor hold public office, it seems that I do have the right to be part of the mesa directiva as I am a colona of La Yacata. The association is a civil organization it is not the same as official offices, of which I will only be able to assume power when I am granted citizenship, which I am still waiting for a response concerning my application from Mexican Immigration. However, as many of the property owners are machismo males, this argument gave them pause and needed to be addressed at the next general committee meeting. It seems that no other candidate has been brought forth that all of the association approve, so I remained at my post.

Another objection that flew through the grapevine, is the collection of cooperation. In 6 months, we have only collected $50 pesos from each property owner, which didn’t cover expenses. Each member of the mesa directiva also loaned $600 pesos of their own money to cover community expenses. I’m sure though, it was annoying to Chuchi to discover how willing the colonos were to give us that little bit of support in the form of pesos.

Whether or not these allegations were true, was of little importance, the damage was done by the negativity of it all and the people lost confidence. Additionally, the discouraging responses we have received from the town administration had dampened any enthusiasm or hope that any of the services can be obtained.

We determined that we needed to put a stop to Chuchi’s interference and registered a complaint to the Ministerio Publico. As a group, we went and were told we needed to talk to the other office which was open on Tuesday and Thursday. On Thursday, J and el taxista returned to register the complaint only to be told that the individual members of the colony needed to register the denouncement. Therefore, a Thursday was determined and more than 30 members of the community presented themselves to the Ministerio Publico, who then shut the door in our faces, saying that the complaint could only be given by the mesa directiva. Whatever!

This situation was difficult, to say the least.  The last meeting of that mesa directive ended with J storming off angrily saying that if we didn’t have a legal assessment, he would not continue as president.  That left us leaderless and vulnerable and still with an incredible amount of work to do.

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