Frontera NorteSur October 2000

Of the above total, 61 lost their lives in auto accidents, 22 from poisoning, 23 by inhaling gas or vapors, 20 by burns, 11 by drowning and the other 121 by falls or other trauma to the body. Most of the poisonings were from accidental drug and medication overdoses. Every year, according to Rojero, children die when they consume household chemicals stored in beverage containers and/or within reach.

Besides those that died 64 were injured in auto accidents, 1,500 received first to third degree burns and 2,077 had traumatic bodily injuries from other causes.

Source: El Diario, September 25, 2000. Article by Arisbeth Galindo.

Poverty Affects 40% of Juárez Citizens

According to the Business Coordinating Council (Consejo Coordinator Empresorial, CCE), 40 percent of Juárez citizens live in poverty despite booming economic development on a national level.  This statement was made by the CCE before Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista a member of President-elect Vicente Fox's economic transition team. Derbez is on a tour of Chihuahua to gain knowledge of problems in the industrial sector. 

Pedro Sergio Holguín Lucero, president of the Confederacíon Patronal de la República Mexicana, presented a panoramic view of Ciudad Juárez's economic contrasts for Derbez, "In this city a television is produced every three seconds, and every seven seconds a computer. We are the world's leading manufacturer of automotive electrical harnesses.  We have workers qualified on a global level and 31 industrial parks.  We generate a labor marker of 425,000 employees, we have an unemployment rate of 0.6 percent, we produce 50 percent of the state's gross product, and yet our reality is difficult." Holguín continued by stating, "Forty percent of our population lives in poverty. We have a marginalized population to the west of the city of 580,000 people in extreme poverty in conditions that don't reflect our economic development."

In his presentation Holguín also noted that 50 percent of Juárez's population is of migratory descent and that 100,000 families live without the basic services of water and sewer.

The CCE asked Derbez for authentic governmental federalism to strengthen state and local governments. The CCE also asked for the equal distribution of funds based on the individual needs of state and local governments.

Source:  El Diario, September 13, 2000.  Article by Tania Fernández.

Unregulated Meat Sales in Matamoros

Eduardo Rodríguez, head of the Sanitary Regulation Department (Departamento de Regulación Sanitaria) announced that Matamoros health is endangered by the sale of unregulated meat. The sales take place in illegal markets and the meats sold there lack any sort of quality control. To counter this trend his department will commence inspections at 134 local butcher shops in hopes of preventing the distribution of bad meat to consumers.  All meat not bearing the official Secretary of Health seals will be seized.  Rodríguez stated that sanctions will be imposed on those carrying illegal products.

Source: El Mañana, August 31, 2000. Article by Verónica Gúzman.