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Frontera
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NUEVO LAREDO NEWS by Alma Jiménez Rodríguez and Doris Acevedo Barajas |
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Frontera
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NUEVO LAREDO NEWS by Alma Jiménez Rodríguez and Doris Acevedo Barajas |
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June 1, 2001 According to Rubén Carrillo De la Garza, president of the Centro Empresarial de Matamoros (Matamoros Business Center, CEM), maquiladoras in the Parque Industrial del Norte suspend operations every day for two hours at a time so as not to exceed the limits of the energy they are importing from the US. The maquiladoras have been receiving energy from the US for the past three weeks. Carrillo stated that production stoppages have not affected
the maquiladoras as they were already reducing output due to
the US economic slowdown. Every day 40 maquiladoras stop production
in Matamoros to help save energy. The scholarships are 100 pesos (US$11) per month for elementary-school students and 200 pesos (US$22) per month for junior-high level children. The scholarships are given for many reasons including academic excellence. The children of educational workers and single mothers are eligible for scholarships as are special-needs children. The money is given to families on a monthly basis. This year the state of Tamaulipas will give away 72 million pesos(US$8 million) in its seven scholarship categories Source: El Mañana, May 29, 2001. Article by Juan Pablo Sánchez Carreon. May 24, 2001 Reynosa has the largest percentage of immigrants in the state
at 21.9%. Nuevo Laredo's percentage is 17.2% and Matamoros' 16.1%. Between 1990 and 2000, the state's population increased at an annual rate of 2.1%. Tamaulipas' official population is now 2,753,222. In the period 1950-1960 the state population grew at an annual
rate of 3.6%, from 1960 to 1970 the growth rate was 3.7%, the
period 1970-1980 had 2.7% annual growth, and the period 1980-1990
had an annual growth rate of 1.6%, according to INEGI. Luevano also said that between September, 2000 and March 3, 2001, the US had received 287 million cubic feet of water from Mexico. Between then and the end date Mexico must give the US the remaining 453 million cubic feet. Some of the water headed to the US will come from the Chihuahua and Coahuila dams Luis L. León, La Fragua, Centenario and San Miguel. In an extreme situation 47 million cubic meters of water could go to the US from the Venustiano Carranza dam in Villa de Juárez, Coahuila. Seeking to reassure area residents that they will have sufficient
water this year, Luevano stated that given climatological conditions
and the water levels in the Amistad, Coahuila and Falcón,
Tamaulipas dams there will be enough water to supply the five
million people that live in Mexican cities along the Rio Grande. Francisco Guerra Gómez, Tamaulipas director of the
Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Medio Ambiente
(Federal Office of Environmental Protection, PROFEPA) stated
that there are 100 maquiladoras in Matamoros that create hazardous
waste. He added that this waste can represent a great danger
if it is not handled as specified by the pertinent laws. Guerra
assured the public that the maquiladora industry is continually
inspected. El Mañana revealed other details about the quinceañera saying that local police in Miguel Alemán, a city of 23,000 located between Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa, diverted traffic off of the street where the club for the party was located. El Mañana's sources, which requested anonymity, also stated that more than fifty men provided security for the fiesta including state and local police. The newspaper's sources also say that US officials were seen at the party. Source: El Mañana (Nuevo Laredo), May 16, 2001.
Article by Alma Leticia González. However, Quintero also noted that there has been an alarming
increase in the number of HIV cases in the state but that most
of the HIV-positive people come from other states in Mexico or
live in the US. Quintero said that people residing in the US
come to Mexico for treatment because they do not want their friends
and families to find out about their situation. Quintero added
that people are receiving treatment for the disease in the Tamaulipas
cities where the disease has been detected. Martínez said that a small crack in a pipe allowed hydrofluoric acid to escape for a few seconds. "It affected a sorghum crop because this is a very sensitive crop, however the lives of residents were never in danger," he said. Martínez continued by saying that this was the company's first such leak in over 20 years and that no one should be alarmed, "Quimica Fluor has the program, personnel and equipment to attend to any leak no matter what its magnitude." In response to a question from reporters asking if Quimica Fluor was not a time bomb and a threat to Matamoros, Martínez agreed that large quantities of the acid could cause irreparable harm to human lungs but stated that a leak of such magnitude would never happen. Martínez reaffirmed his company's promise to reimburse
farmers for their lost sorghum crop. Quimica Fluor is only waiting
for a Secretaría de Agricultura y Ganadería (Department
of Agriculture and Livestock, Sagar) investigation to determine
the cost of the accident to the neighboring growers. Reyes said that while 4,400 jobs have been lost statewide due to the economic situation in the US, Tamaulipas currently knows of 51 corporate plans or proposals to be developed in the state. These new investments would spend US$1.25 billion in Tamaulipas and would create 24,700 jobs for the state. 45 of the plans are industrial in nature while 6 are linked to the tourist industry, Reyes stated. Reyes also said that Tamaulipas is specifically trying to attract industries that can use the state's skilled labor in the electronics and petrochemical fields. New investment will come to the state primarily from US and European companies in the petrochemical, auto-parts, and electronics sectors. Most of the investments will be made in the cities of Matamoros, Tampico, Madero, Nuevo Laredo and Altamira, according to Reyes. Source: El Bravo, May 2, 2001. Article by Annette Sedas. Pedro Alonso Pérez, president of the PRD's state executive committee, stated that Fox's attempt to tax food and medicine are a typical neoliberal act and will only bring greater poverty and marginalization to the country and will exacerbate social tensions. PAN response Guzmán went on to say that unionized workers were manipulated by their leaders and that they did not even know why they were marching. Guzmán also stated that in the end it will be the National
Congress that modifies and approves Fox's fiscal proposals. He
added that, " . . . all serious financial analysts are talking
about the advantages that the reforms could have for the country
and if there are not more resources then it will be difficult
to create more employment and a better standard of living." May 1, 2001 The companies were penalized after they were 20 days late in submitting monthly reports, said Ignacio Guajardo Galindo, Secretaría de Economía delegate. Guajardo told El Mañana that the import sanctions are not an extreme measure given that the companies registered themselves in the beneficial import programs that require them to turn in monthly reports. Exports at the companies, which comprise 20% of the city's
maquiladoras, can continue until the supply of warehoused goods
is exhausted. However, the companies will not be allowed to import
any future production material. |