NEWS & REPORTS

A Trip to the Campo for Global Justice

by Sallie Latch

It was obvious folks had heard good things about the Center for Global Justice's planned trip to Cruz del Palmar; the phone was ringing off the hook from early in the morning to late at night. Mostly Snowbirds were calling for reservations. Reluctantly we finally had to limit the number to 32 Canadians, Americans, and one Australian. We headed for Cruz del Palmar early on a Saturday morning. Traveling by bus to a town which is only 14 miles away, nevertheless took one hour -- the road was unpaved, very dusty, and bumpy. Along the way we could see lots of cactus and dryness typical of high desert areas. The gentle, rolling hills were so dry it seemed as though it had never rained there.

painting by Sallie Latch, on sale at the Center for Global Justice (Calzada de la Luz #42, open weekday mornings) or in Biblioteca Publica Bookstore for 250 pesos; half the proceeds go to the community of Cruz del Palmar.

Along the way we encountered many little chapels constructed by the Spanish Conquistadores.  They were well-aware of the richness of the area in terms of water availability, geographic position, and agricultural potential. The churches helped in the process of their domination.

Our little bus kept on, lurching back and forth on the rugged road, passing a few donkeys and chickens, adobe and some brick houses, and here and there, recently plowed land, ready for the rainy season. 

Finally, at l0AM, we arrived at the community room of the pueblo where the community leaders greeted us warmly. The purpose of our excursion was to expand the awareness of visitors who may not have had direct contact with campesinos, to see and hear directly from them what problems they are encountering and how they cope with these problems. It is rare that their voice is heard and the Center for Global Justice wanted to give them this opportunity to explain their situation to norteamericanos. We know they have a story other than the one most of us hear from Lou Dobbs on CNN.

The excursion was to provide the contact that the campesinos had asked for. They had been feeling isolated out in their community, left alone in their struggle to survive. It was hoped that our trip could fill this gap.

In our meeting we gained a wealth of information and insight about the plight endured in this community. This could not have happened without the essential help of Atahualpa Caldera, who offered bi-lingual translation, as well as a wealth of knowledge about the local and international scene. We are much appreciative of his help. Of course, we are also immensely grateful to the people of Cruz del Palmar who opened their hearts and shared their experiences with us.

Through a series of questions, answers, and discussion, visitors learned of the local situation. Basic is a lack of water. The water that is available is contaminated with bacteria and chemicals caused by the need to drill wells ever deeper into the aquifer below. Because of this, illnesses have increased, while agricultural production has decreased.

Farming is affected, but not only by lack of water, but also by the effects of globalization and NAFTA, which have seriously impeded the production and distribution of agricultural products. The economic realities for this community are harsh and leave few alternatives. One alternative available to them has been to harvest the gravel remaining in the now dry riverbed. This gravel is collected by local men, in an environmentally sound way, and then sold to cement companies. A small income is derived from the effort. However, a few weeks ago, four of the men were arrested for conducting this work. At this time it is unknown how this issue will be resolved.

Another alternative for the campesinos is to migrate to El Norte in hopes of finding work there. A large percentage of the men and some women have done this. Some send money back to their families regularly, some do that for awhile and then stop. Some return, some don't. But while they are gone, the women particularly, suffer great hardship, as they must tend to the fields and otherwise create income for themselves and their families.

Our discussion continued for over an hour and a half, but finally had to be cut short (though there was still much to learn) as there was a picnic lunch waiting for us.  On our way to the picnic site, we took a short walk up a dusty path to the home of Sr. Sobrino who, with great pride, invited us to his house filled with trophies he had won in many running races.  With equal pride he told us of the many visits to his home by Stirling Dickenson. As we continued on our way, we walked across a recently plowed field leading to our picnic lunch under some shady trees, cooled by a soft breeze.  The women of the pueblo had prepared a large, delicious comida for us which included rice, beans, green vegetables, potato pancakes, soy, tostados, blue corn tortillas, beer, an alfalfa drink, and much more.  The "much more" was the warmth of the community members who joined us and extended their welcome.

After "thank yous" and words of appreciation were exchanged, we piled into our bus and headed back to San Miguel, traversing those dusty, bumpy roads, passing the little houses, chickens, donkeys pulling carts, and plowed fields waiting for rain to come.  It was a long day and some folks nodded off as the bus headed back to our world…..our so different world of San Miguel de Allende, with its crowded restaurants, noisy bars, tiendas full of goods from Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Michoacan, the U.S. and elsewhere, not to mention the beautiful, luxury homes and condos, some with swimming pools and large green gardens, necessitating huge amounts of precious water..…. all so different from what we saw in Cruz del Palmar.

The comments Atahualpa and I have received from those who joined us on our tour were overwhelming --- overwhelming for the great impact the experience had for them.  Several people said the trip was the most important and meaningful thing they had done while visiting San Miguel.  One woman told me she could not sleep that night, thinking of all she had seen and heard and remembering the faces of those whom we met.

Many asked when we planned our next trip.  The Center for Global Justice is planning future excursions to Cruz del Palmar and other towns in the campo. We also hope to work together to create ongoing programs for the pueblo that will increase their income and their quality of life. You can help. For starters, you can purchase a print of a painting of one of the women of Cruz del Palmar created by Sallie Latch. Half of the proceeds will go to the campesinos; the other half will be divided equally between Center for Global Justice and the artist. It can be purchased at the Center or in the Biblioteca Publica Book Store for 250 pesos. The Center is located at Calzada de la Luz #42 and is open weekday mornings.