Category Archives: La Yacata Revolution

March 30, 2013 · 2:47 pm

Politicking

This wooden instrument makes an incredible noise.

This wooden instrument makes an incredible noise.

Finding that we weren’t being heard by the current powers-that-be, lead me to becoming involved in their replacements in the hopes that the new powers-that-be would take La Yacata into account.

2012 was a big election year here. The president of México was elected, his term is every 6 years. The governor of Guanajuato was elected, his term is every 6 years too. The president of Moroleón was elected, his term is every 3 years. The president of Moroleón is really an alcalde (mayor) but they think much of themselves here and I guess the term president sounds more important than alcalde (mayor).

The election campaigning begins May 6th, after Méxican labor day (May 1) and The battle of Puebla (May 5) and lasts until midnight of election day (July 1). It can be compared in no way to election campaigns in the U.S.

pri cartoon

The political parties that were represented in Moroleón’s local elections were: PRI (Partido de la Revolución Institucional), PAN (Partido Acción National) PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática) PT (Partido de Trabado), PVEM or more commonly known as el Verde (Partido Verde Ecologista de México) and Nueva Alianza.

pri

PRI has a bad reputation as a political party nationally as they were in power so long (71 years). PAN is known as the party of the people with their slogan ‘algo DIFerente.’ PAN has various DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia) programs, such as ‘un techo digno’ that provides roofing materials for those who need it, ‘una casa DIFerente’ that provides building materials for families in need to construct their own houses and other worthy programs providing becas (scholarships) and ‘dispensas para la tercer edad’ (food packet handouts for the elderly). Locally, there isn’t much support for the other parties, although PRD came out strong in Moroleón this year. Nueva Alianza is the party of the teacher’s union here in México, but I don’t know much about the other parties, except that the PT candidate for president for Moroleón was Chuchi. I didn’t understand how someone of such questionable character could run for president. When I asked, no one seemed to think that he would win, but said that the candidates are all given money for their campaign, motivation to run even if there is no chance of success. That made me angry. Here he was getting money for doing nothing and I was doing all sorts of activities and not getting paid for any of them. Which one of us was the taruga (blockhead) anyway?

pan

My mother-in-law was a staunch support of PAN in previous years and it served her well. She was able to get a cushy job at Los Areas Verdes (the local zoo park) cleaning the bathrooms and charging for their use (3 pesos per person) when R2 was the PAN president several years ago. When R2 finished his term, she was able to transfer to another job through the presidencia (town hall) as a street sweeper. She also was able to qualify for ‘una casa DIFerente’ which my husband and my father-in-law built in La Yacata. So PAN was her party of choice.

Unfortunately, the accident with the police officer put a damper on her campaigning and I was asked to step in as her replacement. I had no idea what I was in for.

I was given 200 questionnaires to have the people of La Yacata fill out for the gubernatorial candidate Miguel Marquez Marquez. I had thought to just have the colonos (associates) just fill them out at the next junta (community meeting) however as the majority of property owners can not read or write, that wouldn’t work. So we started by sending Super Prez’s secretary to homes to see if she could get some of them filled out. Again, this was time consuming as the questionnaires asked for all family members names and relationships, occupations and problems in the community. The problems section was easy to fill out. We wrote the same on each one. We asked that we be allowed to connect to the water and sewer lines, have electricity and if applicable (meaning the property owner was a woman) be allowed to construct a DIF house. The secretary managed to get about 50 filled in. However, Marquez Marquez was coming to town so we were on a time constraint and I filled in the other 150 myself based on the information we had collected from the colonos (property owners).

The next aspect of campaigning was the rallies. This was comprised of a stroll through an assigned section of town with the local candidate, knocking on doors, giving out t-shirts, shaking hands and kissing babies. Well, I just had to stroll and the candidate did the other parts. I was given a t-shirt and hat and met up with the other PANistas (PAN supporters) at a different assigned place each night. Each party was given a different area to stroll, none of them overlapping, so that there would be no confrontations. At the end of the stroll, the leaders would be given the next day’s meeting place that we were instructed not to tell outsiders to prevent sabotage.

So my son and I strolled, in place of my mother-in-law. We strolled with 80-year-old viejitas (old ladies) in rebozos (shawls) and the one-armed bicycle rider. We were announced by sound cars with a catchy jingle for Paco (the PAN candidate), matracas (wooden noisemakers that turn on a handle), and conch shells. Yes, conch shells. You wouldn’t believe the noise they make. The first night I laughed so hard I nearly peed myself. I was sure that I had been trapped in a wrinkle in time. This was the 21st century, not the 1940s.

Another afternoon, I had to work, so I missed out on the PAN march but happened upon the PRI-Verde march. The two parties had combined their forces at the local level and backed the same candidate. What a difference! The PRI-Verde supporters were riding in the back of newer model pick-ups lead by a group of cheerleaders. It needn‘t be pointed out that nubile young girls beat crones in rebozos (shawls) any day. The streets were packed with people out to see the show.

Another day, I ran across the PRD marchers. They were mostly on foot, but their give-away shirts were awesome. Quality work and the brightest egg-yolk yellow.

And not to be left out, I accidentally came across a PT meeting as well. Chuchi was there with his 5 supporters, sitting in the park. I pointed and laughed as I passed in a form of psychological torture. I hope he had nightmares!

A third aspect of my role of campaigning was giving out t-shirts, hats, bags, stickers, and lonas (tarps) all marked with the PAN propaganda. This was the easiest. I gave them all to my husband’s family. They wore the shirts and hats. The kids pasted the stickers. They used the lonas (tarps) to shade the kitchen area. Everybody was content.

One day, coming home to La Yacata, I was astounded to find PRD propaganda painted all over La Yacata. I called Super Prez to see if he had authorized the painting. He hadn’t. I called el taxista to see if he had authorized it. He had, but only on his own cabaña (cabin), not on the La Yacata pump house. The way it was painted, under the sign Los Colonos de La Asociacion de La Yacata, A.C made it look as if the associates were all supporting PRD. Since we were to have a junta (community meeting) that Sunday, I didn’t want to cause any political disputing just when we were all getting organized, so I had the PRD section whitewashed over.

Towards the end of May, Marquez Marquez, the PAN gubernatorial candidate was coming to Moroleón. We had hoped to speak with him personally about the problems in La Yacata. So, el profe, el taxista, R and myself went to the shin-dig they put on. It was disappointing, to say the least. I hadn’t thought to have anything written up to give his secretary, so when we were presented, I didn’t have anything to leave for him to look over. Super Prez was supposed to be there as well, but he only made it to the front door and was called away by work. I was disappointed in that, because he really should have been the one to present the information, not me, however later I found out that he had been invited to the private breakfast for Marquez Marquez in the presidencia (town hall), so our case had been heard after all.

The day after this lunch, it was my turn to take the 8 pm to 8 am shift with my mother-in-law. There aren’t enough hospital personnel to care for patients, so a family member is required to be with the patient 24 hours a day. Her daughter had been there during the week, but needed some time off, so her other daughter-in-law G and I took turns over the weekend. My mother-in-law was conscious and alert for the first part of my shift and so I regaled her with what I had been doing in her stead and gossip about the other supporters. During the night, however, she took a turn for the worse and died 2 days later.

Her wake was attended by about a hundred political supporters. Of course, there were attendees from PAN, Paco and his crew. They sent a large corona (wreath) of flowers. Super Prez, R and R2 came as well. Super Prez sent a large corona (wreath) from La Yacata. R and R2 brought their condolences and papers to sign about the demanda (lawsuit) from Chuchi. The presidencia (town hall) sent a large corona (wreath) of flowers and many of her co-workers were there. The PRD candidate sent a bouquet with his name on a ribbon (which I thought a little tacky) and coffee and sugar. There were even some PRI-Verde supporters but to my knowledge no PT. I saw Chuchi when I went to buy my own flowers and gave him a mean face. It was all I could do.

June’s campaigning was more of the same, but I had little time to spare, so my participation was minimal. I went to a few meetings and agreed to be a motivadora (motivator) on election day. All official campaigning must cease by midnight on June 30. There is to be no alcohol sold either until midnight July 1, but it’s always possible to find someone that will risk imprisonment to sell beer.

verde

So my role as motivadora (motivator) involved me going to the homes of a group of people who were supposed to be PAN supporters and encouraging them to go and vote. In return for my work, I was to get $100 gas voucher. I was given a black bracelet that I was supposed to wear but told I should not wear any PAN colors or propaganda. But then, I was told that I shouldn’t even wear the black bracelet since there is to be no active campaigning on election day. Well, truth be told, I felt like I had done more than my share of campaigning. Besides, I was not even eligible to vote yet, still being in the process of applying for my citizenship. I went to the PAN headquarters in the morning, picked up my list, the bracelet, and breakfast and went back home. I wasn’t going to risk being thrown in the bote (jail) for campaigning illicitly. I did notice on the drive there that the PRI-Verde headquarters was open and had a crowd of people, so mentioned it when I got to the PAN headquarters. They called the authorities and had them close the PRI-Verde’s doors.

I went back to the PAN headquarters at in the afternoon for my lunch and was asked to stake out the voting center nearest my home for irregularities. So my son and I took our lunch and ate in the park across from the voting center (which was a kindergarten). I was supposed to report anyone who seemed to be buying votes or pressuring those in line. I was supposed to receive $100 pesos on my phone to make those calls, however, the secretary misread my phone number and someone else got my phone card. My son and I stayed until we finished our lunch and then went home.

Mexican elections

Please god, let it be June 8. I’ve had it up to here with the campaigning.

Peña Nieto, PRI, was elected México’s president. His FaceBook campaign was a success.

PAN candidate Marquez Marquez was elected governor. We had high hopes for assistance from that quarter, however, national funds have been cut by PRI, including my son’s beca (scholarship), so it looks bleak.

PRD won in Moroleón, and gave positions to Chuchi and el contratista chueco (the crooked contractor) in the presidencia (town hall). This really got my goat. I’m not exactly sure what Chuchi’s position is, however, the contractista chueco (the crooked contractor) is in charge of electricity permits in Moroleón. That will teach me to put my faith in earthly man.

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March 25, 2013 · 2:57 pm

The second demanda Phase 9

Entrance sign to La Yacata

Not to be outdone, Chuchi sent his own demanda (lawsuit) in early May. He attempted to have it delivered to our house in La Yacata, however as there is no legal address, I refused to accept it. So it made it’s way to Super Prez’s office and then to R’s office.

In May, my mother-in-law’s accident drove the thought of this second demanda (lawsuit) from my mind. I was busy with hospital visits and trying to help with all the animals at our house and at my in-law’s house in order to allow my father-in-law and husband to be at the hospital as much as possible.

But then I received a summons. I was to stay at my house and await the demanda (lawsuit) on Friday. So I waited, but the delivery person didn’t come. So my husband, myself and el profe went to the courthouse. I told the secretaries there that no one had come and furthermore, my mother-in-law was in the hospital due to an accident caused by a police officer and not expected to live so I didn’t have time for this crap (or words to that effect).

By then I was in a state of hysterics and went to see Super Prez. I did not want any lawsuit that named me specifically because I would be responsible for payment if we lost. Also, I was in the midst of applying for citizenship, so didn’t want anything to effect that. Super Prez said he wasn’t sure why I was summoned as I was merely the treasurer, not the president of the association, but that he was confident that it would all work out.

I wasn’t satisfied with that, so I went elsewhere. I knew important people too, or rather I taught their kids. I had been teaching English to 3 children whose father was a lawyer and whose mother was a judge. It was la juez (the judge) I was interested in seeing. I went to the house and asked to speak with her. I explained I didn’t know what the summons was for and that no one would give me any information in the office and that my mother-in-law was dying and so I was a bit hysterical. She called the person who was supposed to deliver the summons and asked that it be explained to her, then she explained it to me.

The demanda (lawsuit) was from Chuchi, as I had thought, for a cantidad de agua (water permit) that he had supposedly obtained for the colonia (neighborhood). My name was on the demanda (lawsuit) because I was the treasurer, therefore, the current legal financial officer of the association. La juez (the judge) asked that the demanda (lawsuit) be delivered to her and she would then send it on to me. She also said that it would in no way affect my application for citizenship.

Feeling somewhat reassured, I continued doing what I could for my mother-in-law, although in the end, it was little enough. She died at the end of May.

The day after her death, R called me and asked if I would be available to sign some papers. I told him I would be at my brother-in-law’s place as we prepared for the wake. R arrived before I did and handed me some things to sign. I said that I would read them before I signed, which he seemed to think unnecessary, but read them I did, standing outside in the blazing sun.

These papers were the response to the demanda (lawsuit) maintaining that the people of La Yacata were not receiving benefits from the water permit obtained by Chuchi (we didn’t have water), that there was no well (only a hole in the ground) and that this hole was outside of La Yacata (it was dug in an area that didn’t have escritoras (undeeded land). I read everything again, signed, and went inside to set up chairs for the wake.

We buried my mother-in-law and I didn’t hear anything more about the lawsuit for a few days. Super Prez, R, and R2 came to the wake, as did all candidates for Moroleón presidency. After the burial, we prepared for the novena (9 days of prayer for the soul of the deceased to be released from purgatory).

The day of the first novena (prayers for the soul of the recently departed), la juez (the judge) called and asked me to come to her house about the demanda (lawsuit), so I did. She asked if we had responded to the charge. Remember there is only a 9-day period to respond or the accuser wins automatically. I said that I was pretty sure that we had, but she insisted that I call R and ask. She isn’t the sort of person you argue with, so I did. I then went to see Super Prez in his office and asked him as well. He gave me a copy of the response, so I felt reassured. Then I went back to the novena (prayer session).

In June, I was called to los juzgados (court) to give a confesión (confession). It’s an odd term, but basically, I was to go and answer some questions the judge would ask me that had been sent by the opposing lawyer. I was very nervous about this. Suppose my F2 identification wasn’t acceptable. Suppose I didn’t understand the question. Suppose I answered incorrectly.

I met with R2 before the confesión. He suggested I ask for the judge to repeat anything I didn’t understand and answer with yes or no whenever possible. He said that R and Super Prez had already gone through the questioning and gave me a general idea of what sort of questions would be asked. And then it was my turn.

The judge asked me if I knew Chuchi. I said yes. He asked if I was the treasurer of La Yacata. I said yes. He asked if I knew Super Prez and R. I said yes. He asked if La Yacata was receiving benefits from the water permit obtained by Chuchi. I said no. He asked if I knew that I was responsible for paying for contracts made by the association. I had to ask that be repeated. My answer was yes, those contracts that were approved by the association. This point was crucial because Chuchi never got approval for any of the projects he began and without approval, we weren’t legally responsible for contracts he signed. And then it was over.

I met briefly with R2 to tell him the questions and my answers and he seemed well satisfied.

In July, the judge made a visit to La Yacata to inspect the site of the pozo (well). A few days previous, Super Prez had my husband put up a barb wire and post fence marking the end of the area that had escritoras (deeds) so that the judge could see that the alleged pozo (the hole that supposedly is a well) was outside of those limits. So we met in La Yacata, Chuchi, his lawyer and perito (surveyor), the judge, his secretary, Super Prez, R, R2 and me. We had to leave the cars below and hike up a bit, which didn’t please the judge too well.

pozo bucket

This is what the pozo (well) looks like in La Yacata.

We walked about, took pictures and the lawyers made statements. R2 said that the pozo (well hole) was outside the area with escritoras (deed). Chuchi’s surveyor pulled out the plan to disprove that, only he had the plan turned the wrong way. I didn’t win his thanks by pointing that out. Then Chuchi’s lawyer said that we (the colonos) were receiving water benefits from the pozo (well) and the judge asked what well that was. There were no pipes or pump or water storage tower to get water from the hole to the houses. But he did admit that there was water in the hole, tested by dropping pebbles and waiting for a splash. I pointed out that since we were in the rainy season, there was water everywhere. The judge noted in his report that he couldn’t say if there would be water in the hole during the dry season, but that in July there was water.

Then we all trooped back to the cars for paper signing. I didn’t have my identification on me and was anxiously asking if I needed to go and get it, but Super Prez told me to wait a minute. I didn’t need it after all as he had R2 take my name off the demanda (lawsuit) and therefore, I didn’t have to sign anything. More importantly, if things were to go against us, I wouldn’t be personally responsible for the money owed. What a relief!

We presented this information at the next junta (community meeting). I had hoped this would help unite us once again, and open wallets for the $250 peso cuota (charge). But it seems that R2 (who had been the president of Moroleón before the current president) had made some enemies. And some of those enemies were property owners in La Yacata. When they found out that R2 was representing us legally, they complained.

I had mentioned this same concern to Super Prez earlier. I said that R2 had left office none too clean and that it’s possible that we would be unwise to trust in him. He agreed but hoped that since R was his brother and mentioned in the lawsuit as well, that R2 would have to do the right thing in this case.

Be that as it may, several colonos (associates) wanted to look for another lawyer. They thought it suspicious that R’s brother was our legal representative. I spoke up then. I said that we hadn’t called a junta (meeting) at the time we received the demanda (lawsuit) because my mother-in-law had died. As my husband and I are the ones that deliver the flyers and make the radio announcements for the community meetings, we were unable to do so within the 9 days we had to answer the charge because of the funeral. I admitted that R and R2 may have taken undue advantage of the situation and apologized to the community (neither R or R2 happened to be present at the meeting.) however what was done, was done and the only thing we could do at present was meet our financial obligations as best we could.

As of March 2013, we are still waiting on an end to this demanda (lawsuit). It looks good for us. We have successfully proved that the people of La Yacata are not receiving benefits from this water permit, as we don’t have any water. We have also proved that there is no pozo (well) at the site indicated by Chuchi. But it’s the third point that we are awaiting resolution on, whether the hole is inside or outside the legally deeded area. Our perito (surveyor) said no. Chuchi’s perito (surveyor) said yes. So the judge appointed a neutral surveyor to make an inspection in October. Well, as far as we know, he didn’t do an inspection in October or November and as in December and January the court is recessed for Christmas vacation and then Moroleón Days, we are in February still waiting for a verdict.

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March 15, 2013 · 2:46 pm

The first demanda Phase 8

pozo digger

This is the machine that punched a hole in the water table.

So this brings up to early 2012. Our efforts to find out who we are and where we are had been coming along slowly, but steadily. Then came the first demanda (lawsuit).

We were presented the first copy of the demanda (lawsuit) during our routine meeting in January by someone unknown to us. He obviously had been sent by Chuchi to see that we get the paperwork. He was not forthcoming with how he obtained this, just that it had been given to him.

Super Prez read the papers and said he would look into it. The next day, the official notice was sent to his office. In this demanda (lawsuit) the perforador del pozo (the guy who drilled the hole that pretends to be a well) sued La Yacata and Super Prez for non-payment of work completed and nearly double in interest making the grand total about $500,000 pesos.

The lawsuit claimed that a contract had been signed in Super Prez’s office in 2007. Since Super Prez didn’t have an office in 2007 and was not the president of the community group La Yacata at the time, the well hole digger falsified the contract (with Chuchi’s help).

Well, the law works in mysterious ways here. Once a demanda (lawsuit) has been received, the accused party (in this case La Yacata and Super Prez) have 9 days to respond or it’s an automatic win to the presenter (the well digger). So since R’s brother, R2, was part of a legal team, a lawyer of sorts, he wrote a response to the lawsuit alleging falsification of the contract.

Now that a response had been made, the case proceeds to los juzgados (court). There, both sides present their cases to the judge who makes the final decision. It is a laborious and time-consuming process.

R2 decreed that he would accept no money until the case was won. It wasn’t a risk for him really, the charges were ludicrous. Lawyers are paid a percentage of the total claim. R2 said he would be content with a mere $100,000 pesos, after all, he was saving us $400,000 pesos by his efforts. We didn’t have any choice but to agree.

This first demanda (lawsuit) was open from January until September when the judge finally made his ruling in our favor. There was no contract between Super Prez or the people of La Yacata and the well hole digger. The contract was found to be between the well hole digger and Chuchi and therefore Chuchi was responsible for the balance of payment.

The next day R2 came for his first payment from the people of La Yacata. We put in a contra-demanda (counter demand) against the well hole digger in order to get back some of the money we have paid in our defense, but it won’t cover all the expenses. So each lot has a $250 peso cuota (charge) to pay the lawyers. It isn’t fair. We are being penalized for problems Chuchi has made. It doesn’t make the colonos (people) happy at all.

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