Surviving Mexico

After the dispapaye (chaos) of the last billing cycle, we were determined to get our ducks in a row before the next. We started with the list of 8 meters which were not in the system or entered incorrectly and the incorrect numbering (lots instead of official numbers). Super Prez created a list requesting the lot numbers be changed to the official numbers, and every colono with electricity signed it. As I mentioned before, the municipio had granted Super Prez the authority to generate the official numbers and he had a letter to that effect from the presidencia (town hall). However, when he presented the list to the local CFE office, they called the regional CFE office, which said that it wouldn’t do. 

Meanwhile, the restructuring at the CFE main offices was going on. If you recall, CFE begged off from attending our convivio (community gathering) in November because several higher-ups, including the local representative, had been fired for corruption. In the free-for-all that followed, the CFE supervisor who oversaw the electricity installation in La Yacata was promoted to fill one of the vacancies. While that might be perceived as good, as he was aware of our situation, it didn’t seem to matter any. He came on a site inspection with one of the more senior supervisors who threw a fit, saying we committed fraud as we certainly didn’t qualify for this federal program. 

Super Prez was summoned to the regional office to account for our sins or some other such nonsense. The gathered CFE overseers accused him (and us) of misrepresenting La Yacata so we could receive this federal grant. Super Prez explained that the grant was a complete surprise to us. He then turned it around and told them to check their records to see who had approved the project. He waited while they dug around. They came back chagrinned. The application had one signature, a colono, not even on the mesa directiva (board of directors). None of the information about the status of La Yacata had been filled out, because, not surprisingly, the colono didn’t know any of it. 

So what we believe happened is that at some point a year or so ago, a CFE grant scouting party stopped by and came across the colono sitting in front of his house. Instead of sending them to me up the road, this colono took it upon himself to become the community representative, and the grant scouting party accepted that. Since the grant money had to be spent and we obviously needed electricity, the scouting party submitted the application, which somebody approved. We first heard of the grant when CFE showed up with a plan and start date. We certainly weren’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth and gladly accepted. 

Anyway, with some grumbling, the issue was dropped. However, it took several more trips to the regional and local CFE offices for the official numbers generated by Super Prez with full municipal authority to be accepted. 

When that happened, Super Prez also got the go-ahead to connect the 39 muretes (posts) and fincas (buildings) that had not been included in the initial project. I worked with each colono to gather the required photos and documentation. (See Downed Lines and New Connections) 

When the first additional solicitud (application) was finally ready, I handed the folder of items off and told the colono to go at 9 am Monday to the CFE office. He did, and on Tuesday, CFE zoomed into La Yacata, found me walking Cocoa, and asked for directions to the house. The electricity was installed that very day. 

Now that we had official numbers, we needed to put them up on the walls. I bugged and bugged, sending messages and calling colonos so that they would put those numbers up before the next CFE bills arrived. We still didn’t have the street signs up, but the numbers started popping up. It made my heart glad! Things were beginning to feel like a community instead of a wasteland. 

Turns out, all that effort wasn’t needed. When the CFE delivery guy came, he encountered the same colono who had made himself the official representative for the grant. He handed over the entire stack of recibos. The colono didn’t want to be responsible for all those bills, so he brought them to my door. I sent the word out that I had them for everyone to come and pick up. There were still four missing bills and two others that I wasn’t sure were correct. Well, I suppose we have to take what we get. I sent the two I thought were incorrect to the CFE office with pictures of their meters and the bill and told the other four that we’d wait for another billing cycle and see what happened.

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Want to read about the first failed attempt at modernization in La Yacata? Check out La Yacata Revolution: How NOT to Buy a Piece of Heaven in Mexico available on Amazon.