Frontera NorteSur March /2000

A car accident which claimed the lives of five young El Pasoans January 21 led to a bitter dispute between El Paso Mayor Carlos Ramirez and Juárez Mayor Gustavo Elizondo which raged for over a month. Ramirez, blaming Juárez alcohol policies for contributing to the deaths of the youths, demanded that the city raise its age limit for consumption of alcohol to 21. In turn, Elizondo countered that Mexican law cannot be changed simply to accommodate one foreign country's demands. In fact, the process for changing the law, he told Ramirez, requires a change at the federal level. Chihuahua Governor Patricio Martinez tried to split the difference between the two mayors, and for his efforts was labelled as being "servile to U.S. interests" by other Juárez leaders.

The five El Pasoans killed in the wreck were all between the ages of 18 and 20. According to police reports, some of the victims were wearing bracelets that indicated they had been at a "drink and drown" event in Juárez earlier in the evening. However, toxicology reports released February 25 showed that the driver, Eric Lozano, was not legally drunk at the time of the accident, which occurred in El Paso just a few blocks from the international bridge with Juárez. El Paso police officially recorded the cause of the accident as "speed and alcohol."

The leader of the Avenida Juárez Businessmen's Association, Recardo Núñez Alvares, said February 26 that El Paso Mayor Ramirez owed the city of Juárez and its people an apology for "his unjust accusations."

Ramirez's first statement regarding the accident was that "the laws of Juárez are responsible." In Juárez, the legal drinking age is 18, and many bars in the tourist area are open until 4 a.m. The state of Chihuahua officially responded to Ramirez with a simple statement: "We are not responsible [for the accident]."

Elizondo was stronger in his response to Ramirez, saying January 28 that "we don't apply the laws of the United States here." He framed his argument as both constitutional and practical. One, Mexico as a nation and Juárez as a city would not change their laws to accommodate a foreign government. Secondly, he said, Juárez entertains tourists from many of countries--Germany, Italy, etc. How could Juárez possibly make a law to encompass all the variances of international laws?

The state legislature of Chihuahua and the municipal authorities of Juárez supported Elizondo, both agreeing that a local ordinance prohibiting sale to alcohol to people under 21 would be "unconstitutional," and would require a new federal law.

In the face of this argument, Ramirez backed down from his initial stand, saying that his criticism was mainly against "drink and drown" events. He suggested instead that Juárez consider adopting a "Good Neighbors policy" which would simply prohibit alcohol sales to Texas youths within a certain district.

Elizondo countered that such a policy was "illegal," but state Governor Martinez intervened in the debate on February 1 to suggest that "modifications" in the law were possible, and that for a start Juárez police could enforce existing laws against public intoxication, laws which in some cases call for incarceration.

Martínez also proposed an amendment to the Chihuahua state constitution which would delete the language "age 18" from the state's law on serving alcoholic beverages to minors. Martínez's PRI party has enough votes to carry the amendment in the state house, however opposition leaders said it was clearly unconstitutional.

Nevertheless, Martínez was supported by 59 percent of Juárenses, who, in a January 30 poll conducted by El Diario, said they believed alcohol sales to Texas citizens under the age of 21 should be prohibited. Thirty-nine percent disagreed.

However, Juárez tourist area bar and other business owners were alarmed by Martinez's suggestions, and began their own meetings to work out a solution to the problem. The Governor called for "dialogue" in the "fight over legalities."

Ramirez continued his campaign against Juárez, however, first by calling for three consecutive weekends of El Paso police patrols on the international bridge, then charging that Elizondo was "distorting the facts" and taking out full page ads criticizing the Mayor.

At this point, even Governor Martinez said Ramirez was becoming "abusive" and "making strong accusations."

Ramirez's bridge patrol operation was successful in lessening the flow of underage drinkers from El Paso to Juárez. By February 15, El Paso police had arrested eleven minors.

For their part, Juárez police closed 23 bars and revoked their permits for violations of Mexican alcohol law policies. Juárez bars began carding patrons more heavily. Martínez suggested that Juárez bars simply not sell liquor to minors from El Paso.

Juárez authorities also received intense pressure from El Paso chapters of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving.)

The continued pressure seemed to have its effect when municipal authorities proposed a New Regulation of Alcohol Law on February 16. "The regulation seeks to avoid confusion," said one municipal employee. Among other things, the law would dictate what documents are valid for determining the age of bar patrons. Also, bars which are close to churches and hospitals, for example, may have certain restrictions. "The current law does not say the manner in which distance is measured-is it diagonal, is it a straight line, is it door-to-door, or the property line of one business to another," said the employee.

Source: El Paso Times, El Diario, El Norte de Ciudad Juárez