Surviving Mexico

Since FE Guanajuato was designed to assist rural communities in various ways, I decided it was time to ask for their advice on who we could contact and what we could ask for. The representative suggested that we compose a letter to be sent to both the governor of Guanajuato and the Mexican president, AMLO. She said these letters should be handwritten, and she would get us the correct address.

SuperPrez wasn’t as gungho as I was on this project. He felt that if it was as simple as writing a letter, everybody would do it. I wanted to give this assignment to another community member to get more individuals involved because I didn’t have the time. However, after considering the different options and their literacy level, I opted to just write it myself. 

My goal was to make the reader cry. I know that seems counterintuitive, but we had to find a way to stand out from other petitioners. If we appealed to their emotions and told a good story, that would be a good publicity opportunity since it was an election year, well, then maybe, just maybe, we’d get some assistance. 

I spent over a week on the letter’s composition. Then I sent it to Super Prez, who made some suggestions, most importantly to ensure that we did not mention or refer to the current municipio administration. Finally, I had my son double-check my Spanish, making sure I wasn’t accidentally using translated English idioms or phrases that could be misconstrued. I also told him to ranch-ify it a bit. Although it remained extremely formal, as in all written correspondence in Mexico, certain phrases were more often used in this area than others. I wanted to include as many of those as possible. 

So, to sum up, the letter provided a condensed version of how the former person in charge had defrauded and then sued the colonos de La Yacata, which you can read in glorious detail in La Yacata Revolution: How NOT to Buy a Piece of Heaven in Mexico.

Then, I highlighted the difficulties encountered by some colonos, such as health problems, poverty, robberies, and, most importantly, the lack of basic utilities in La Yacata. Next was a list of those colonos who have died without their Yacata dreams being fulfilled, like my mother-in-law, and included the Actas de Defunción (death certificates) I had on file. I told you, I wanted to make the reader cry.

The next section discussed how La Yacata had been trying to meet the standards necessary for regularización for years and included the packet of papers from the muncipio that proved that. I also emphasized that we had never asked for financial support from any organization before. Then, at Super Prez’s suggestion, I briefly outlined our water, sewer, and electricity projects.

I ended the letter with a final plea for recognition and access to whatever support was available. Super Prez and I added our names, addresses, and emails. Then, it was time to present this to the colonos and get their signatures.

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Dreaming of a serene life in Mexico? Think again! La Yacata Revolution: How NOT to Buy a Piece of Heaven in Mexico is a gripping narrative that unveils the challenges of navigating bureaucracy, securing basic services, and facing the unexpected realities of rural living. Join the courageous community of La Yacata as they defy the odds, sparking a revolution to reshape their world. Get ready for a riveting journey of resilience, rebellion, and the pursuit of a better tomorrow. Viva la Revolución!