Gringo Gone Home
Yesterday George W. Bush left Mexico, and for many of the local inhabitants of Merida and the surrounding countryside, it wasn't a moment too soon.
From what we have seen in the past few days, the Leader of the Western World appears to be very afraid, and his presence projected those fears onto our traditionally tranquil city in a most bizarre and invasive manner.
First came the advance team. The Diario de Yucatan reported that at least 2,500 Secret Service agents from both the U.S. and Mexican governments were in town. Who knows when they really started moving in, but it became obvious about a week ago as the area around the Fiesta Americana and Hyatt hotels started crawling with young, tall, clean-cut Mexican men wearing golf shirts and khakis and strange-looking gringo tourists wearing sunglasses. On one of our morning walks, we saw an elderly gentleman who appeared to be a local retiree, but he was wearing black earplugs with wires trailing into his shirt. The security men were serious but friendly (especially to Norteamericanos), even as they made everyone step through metal detectors inside the hotels. And all the changes were pretty low-key at first.
Then the metal barriers started showing up around town. First stacked on street corners, then gradually blocking streets and keeping cars from parking. Eventually there were pairs of black-shirted policemen on every corner within twenty blocks in any direction from the Forbidden Zone around the hotels. Then two days before the arrival of the leaders, ten-foot-tall metal barricades were erected that connected together to form a solid metal wall around the hotel area, effectively creating a walled city of three square blocks with heavily guarded entrances. To pass through the gates on Monday morning before Bush arrived, a person had to show their ID and have a good reason to be there. After his arrival, it was impossible for most people to gain entry. Once inside this walled city, the empty streets were eerie. Businesses on the ground floors of the hotels were closed and other businesses, like taxi drivers who cater to the hotels, were also effectively shut down. Schools around the hotels and around the pueblo of Temozon were closed for several days as well. Traffic was re-routed around the Centro Historico to stay clear of the Forbidden Zone encircling the hotels. Most people we talked to were not too pleased to have their routines, their income and their studies interrupted for this circus of powerful potentates, a circus that their government paid handsomely to host.
We read that similar walls of metal barricades were erected around the entire hacienda at Temozon, forcing people who usually walk through the hacienda on their way to school or work to walk miles out of their way. In fact, the entire pueblo of Temozon was put under a 9:00 PM curfew for a week leading up to the president's arrival and not allowed out of their houses when the presidents were actually in the hacienda.
Other chilling touches included the multiple flyovers with large military Blackhawk helicopters and F-16 military jets, arriving from an aircraft carrier stationed off shore. The helicopters flew lower than anything ever flies over the city, creating a lot of noise, vibration and a sense of intimidation. Some we talked with questioned the legality of the United States flying military helicopters over Mexican soil. Can you imagine the U.S. Government allowing Mexico's president to fly a full military escort over any city in the United States?
Some Canadian friends told us that the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, arrived on the last day of these events in order to participate in talks with Bush and Calderon. In contrast to the arrival of the U.S. President, they told us he flew down from Canada on a commercial jet and drove into Merida by taxi, although we've not been able to confirm this.
We've been told that when President Clinton came here in 1998 to visit with Mexico's then-president Zedillo, there were no barricades or military flyovers. A friend of our assistant who lives in Muna, a small colonial town south of Merida on the way to Uxmal, remembers seeing Clinton walking down the streets of their small pueblo, waving and talking with passers-by.
In fact, Merida has a long history of playing host to world leaders and dignitaries, from Emperor Maxmilian to Porfirio Diaz to President Clinton. The protocol for the important visitor has traditionally been one of public ceremony and friendly invitation to enjoy the people and culture of Yucatan. The former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, visited Merida and some of the surrounding pueblos at least twice since we moved here and was warmly received and moved freely among the people.
There was none of that this time. Bush and Calderon visited Uxmal, but no one was allowed near them. The two presidents and their wives had dinner at Hacienda Xcanatun and the wives visited Hacienda Ochil (hmmm, they must have read our article about haciendas...) But no one here saw the President of the United States unless they were invited to a private audience.
They say the president's people chose the city of Merida for its peaceful and friendly atmosphere. Admittedly, there were several small protests here before Bush came, but none while he was here that we heard of, though there were violent protests in Mexico City and in other countries during Bush's tour. We love our adopted city for its attitude but deplore the way the powers-that-be chose to use it for their own purposes, disrupting the very thing they came to take advantage of. It felt somehow insulting, even to us. We can only imagine how resentful many local Yucatecos might feel.
It was widely reported in the press that one of the main reasons for Bush's tour of Latin America was to counter the growing popularity here of socialist politics and especially the influence of Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela. If that really was his aim, it seems to us that he failed by design. There were no public appearances, no smiling and waving from a motorcade nor any speeches to win hearts and minds. Instead we were reminded of the distance imposed between poweful and ordinary people, the walls that separate the Latin and Anglo worlds, and the imposing military might of gringolandia.
But then, just as suddenly as they came, they are gone. The barricades are down. Business friends of ours in the Fiesta Americana have said we can come by their office now, because they are free again. Driving and parking on the streets that were emptied is allowed again, the small shops and parking attendants and taxi drivers can return to work now, feed their families and normal life goes on.
Frankly, we are left puzzled and confused by our President and by his visit to Merida. We know that Bush grew up in Texas, which has a long history of relations with Mexico. We know he and his family have many Mexican friends. We know he has a better grasp of the Spanish language and Mexican culture than most gringos, so ignorance cannot be what caused Bush to leave an impression that could only create the kind of resentment his tour was supposed to ameliorate. As U.S. expatriates living as guests in this country, we cannot help but feel that his visit reinforced old stereotypes and resentments toward the U.S. that may eventually - however unintentional, however impersonal - be directed toward us. Seeing what we've seen these past few days, we can hardly blame any Mexican for having those feelings. And so it seems to us that no one, not the U.S. nor Mexico nor the president himself was served by this visit.
Those of us who were here to witness the show of power and intimidation that this U.S. President brought to Merida will not soon forget it. Seeing and FEELING those jets and helicopters patrolling Merida in stark contrast to our usual tranquilidad makes us even more grateful for this friendly and peaceful place where we live called Yucatan.
- Al Giordano of Narco News reports on the real purpose of this meeting
- Diario de Yucatan's coverage of the Bush-Calderon meeting (in Spanish)
- The New York Times weighs in
Comments
denisec 17 years ago
Enrique Yucateco,
Thank you for your comments they are so very on mark. We hope that you can join us all here before to long. What state are you living in there? What city in the Yucatan are you from? I think you should bring your wife and come home. My husband who is from Oxkutcab and I left in 2002 and are so glad not to be there looking at the everyday nightmare that you are. We are to glad not to have to be a part of the madness. Hang in there and your family will be in our thoughts.
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triatepat 17 years ago
Saudi Arabia and Libya were the source of about 60 percent of the foreign fighters
who came to Iraq in the past year to facilitate attacks.
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Enrique Yucateco 17 years ago
I am a Yucateco living in the USA. I am very happy to see that there is a group of gringos in my hometown expressing their points of view from there, the mayan land. Many times I have told my wife (registered republican) about what I think about the American (government) invasions of others, that all I have read here today is very real, that the expression, "there is no safe place" is another brain wash performed by the American (government) on their own people.
I know many people. The American people think that Osama Bin Laden, Iraqi leaders, Sadam Hussein and other famous (CNN) terrorists are a good reason to expend billions of dollars and sacrifice the American (people) in this American (government) show of power. I have some neighbors suffering from major illness. I can't actually afford to pay for my own life in the US. We have an income of around $70,000 dollars a year and we can't keep up.The insurance rates went crazy, (I call this a human rights violation), and we don't have anybody to help us with this abuse, which I think is orquestrated by the American (government).
Well all this just to say that the biggest terror is called insurance companies and US federal government. I think the entire American (people) is terrified by this. I have been in th US since 1997 when Clinton was the man, and never saw this level of anxiety and fear on the American (people). People loosing their homes due to financial institution scams. Our house payment went from $570 a month to $1,050 a month. I honestly think that the American (government) should use their own money to help the American (people) instead of looking for fake enemies around the world. If oil is so important, buy the countries that have oil instead of making the American (people) pay for it in cash and with their lives in holy wars.
Congratulations to all the gringos in Merida. I wish I was there, but I am trapped in a mortgage, insurance, car payments and more, but working hard to make my return to my land, that HOT piece of rock that is the entire peninsula. It is the safest place on earth. Yucatecos use to say that if the world ends, Merida will stay in place.
I want to recognize as well the American people and make the world understand that they are good people. Do not confuse an American with the American Government. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME. Unfortunately, people think that everything the Aemrican Government does is what the American people want. I hope the Americans, with their great spirit, are able to redirect this great country for the good of the world.
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CasiYucateco 17 years ago
Fned, thanks for your kind words. I simply was saying what I thought, but sure, use it if you like.
You know, this is one of the biggest, if not The Biggest Lie: "It is a different world after 9/11/01"
No. It is not. There were terrorists before 9/11 and there will be terrorists after 9/11. And why are they terrorists? To cause Terror.
When we change everything about what we do, where we go, the way we behave, how we interact, etc, etc, etc, then what are we really doing? We are changing because of Terror.
Succeeding over Terror is quite simple, really: Don't be terrified. Refuse to let them win. Don't change your life or stockpile duct tape (surely one of the stupidest things ever proposed by a government figure). Go forth into the sunshine and Carry On With Your Life.
Terrorists resort to their tactics precisely because they are a tiny minority. They cannot get attention, no one believes what they do, nothing will change to accomodate them. So, they resort to outrageous acts to gain attention. Deny them attention. (Oh sure, the police and international agencies should pursue them relentlessly, but what should WE do? The general populace?)
More people are killed in US by car accidents, drug overdoses, gunshots, infections and everything else there is in life.
9/11 was a horrible day. A horrible series of events. But it was no reason "for everything to be different." No reason to surrender our civil and human rights. No reason to let terror rule our hearts.
No one was ever safe anywhere - the world is filled with hazards. You can fall off a ladder in your own backyard. And the true risks of many other hazards are much greater than a motley bunch of discontents and ideologues.
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Tim 17 years ago
I didn't know anyone was shorter than Bush. Calderon must be a midget. I think a president should be fluent in at least one language.
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Fned 17 years ago
I just want to say to CasiYucateco that your post says exactly what needs to be said in the exact precise words. I have often tried to express how I feel about 9/11, the war in Irak, the american people and the mexican immigration issue to people around me and never quite find the way to do so without putting in too much emotion so that it sounds too cheezy or putting in too much anger so that it sounds biased or putting in too much description so that it sounds false. Thank you for your post and I hope you don't mind me using it as a quotation when words fail me.
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Bob 17 years ago
It's another world after 9/11/01, regardless of who is president. It's clear no one is safe anywhere.
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Mike 17 years ago
Not to worry. After Jan 20 2009 all will be better. Hopefully.... hmm... maybe.... well... can we get it right this time??
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Denise Courtney 17 years ago
I would just like to say that this has become a very typical problem. I live in Cancun and am an american. My husband lived in the U.S. for 18years but is from Yucatan (Oxkutcab). We both work in tourism and the last few times that cough, cough, Bush appeared here in Cancun the whole city was grid locked, streets closed down, air planes circling the airport indefinelty delayed while he landed etc. He was in town this one particular visit to "Show the American People that it is safe to visit Mexico" What he does not seem to get at all it in doing so he cost the City of Cancun a great loss in income with his little visit. Not to mention closing Chichen Itza for the day. I remember that I had alot of clients looking on their last day to visit Chichen Itza but, no go it was reserved for 2 people. I recently just took my second trip back to the US since moving here five years ago. I was a little concerned by things that I saw. For instance when in the airport everything is Homeland Security. I had a very real recolection of a different point in History that it was called Faterland Security in Germany. How can one man cause so many problems? I for one am counting the days left in his term just so I do not have to see or hear of any more of the most sickening propoganda that we have seen to date.
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Working Gringos 17 years ago
We saw a brief article about that in the Diario de Yucatan (www.yucatan.com.mx) after Bush's visit, and then that was it. If you read Spanish, you could try searching on it in Spanish languages publications, but we've never seen it reported in English.
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Sadtobeatexan 17 years ago
I was in Merida just a week ago and heard mention of the killing of the dogs..I looked at the like in one of the previous post on here but can anyone give me an idea on where to get more info?? thanks in advance
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