Who’s most impacted by the border blockade?
After some inactivity, Mexicali activist Sergio Tamai decided to come back from the dark and held another protest Monday morning on the Mexican side of the Calexico Downtown Port of Entry. Along with a group of migrants he has protected for years the demonstrators decided to shut down the international crossing while Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto was in town.
As part of the protest the group even burned at least one piñata representing Mexico’s Commander-in-Chief. With the rally and blockade the protestors sought to reach two goals. First, one of the objectives was to let the nation’s leader know additional funds are needed at the local level in order to address immigration issues. From housing to food and other unmet items, immigrants need the Mexican government to provide additional funds for relief at the local level. However, this has not been sufficient.
At the same time Tamai has again demanded the reduction of electricity bills. “Abajo la Luz,” or “Down with the Light” has been the decade-long motto utilized to petition the increase in cost of energy here, especially during our hot summers. In this season, Mexicali residents hesitate between paying their energy bills or buying food for their beloved ones. Some business owners prefer to close their companies’ doors and leave to a state beach or somewhere else until just before the fall begins. But most Mexicali residents struggle to make ends meet in the hottest months of the year. And as former President and Mexicali resident Ernesto Zedillo once told an elderly lady while in town, “either you pay your bill or service will get cut.”
In case you are not aware, Tamai was one of the co-founders during the 1970s of the Frente Cívico Mexicalense, or Mexicali’s Civic Front, an independent, non-partisan group of local leaders who fought tirelessly to see the reduction in the cost of electricity. The organization, for good or bad, has been able to survive as of today with Tamai as the only visible leader.
When Carlos Salinas de Gortari was President of Mexico, the Front was able to gather thousands of Mexicali residents at the Civic Center, with hopes of meeting face to face with the Commander-in-Chief and receive good news about the bills. Frustrated with Salinas’ absence everyone disbanded.
In recent years the activist founded the Migrant Hotel in downtown, where deported people received immediate shelter, water, food and some other items. This particular project has received funds from the state with the objective of remaining one of the sites that give a helping hand to thousands who desperately need it after their repatriation.
As we see the petitions have been either ignored or partially addressed. Perhaps this is what has driven the activist to look for different and more radical strategies like forbidding drivers from crossing to Calexico, the Imperial Valley, California or the United States.
Is it fair? I do not think so. Why should a more-than-just fight have third-party casualties or collateral damage?
As soon as the group began blocking our international port of entry social media users angrily complained. Those impacted by the event were coming to work, shop, do business or visit relatives at their homes or perhaps at a hospital. Fortunately, we have had for two decades another port of entry. Regardless, the blockades have proven the demands expressed have just followed into deaf ears. I hope my request to find new avenues to protest, do not follow the same path.