In this monthly series, we republish a few of the headlines from our April editions 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 years ago.
1964
In classified ads
Renting beautifully furnished apartment with full hotel maid service, excellent location, bay view, suitable for group of three, also one available for five persons.
Rent: US$150 to US$180 per month.
1974
Ferry forPV-Baja run arrives
The German-built ferry for the new Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California run has arrived in Vallarta and will be put into service in the very near future, according to government officials. The vessel has a capacity of 248 passengers in salon class (reclining seats), 136 in tourist class and 82 in cabin class. It will carry a maximum of 185 cars and 23 trailers. It develops a speed of 18.5 knots and will make the trip between Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas in 20 hours.
1984
Government hikesphone rates 200 percent
The government owned national telephone monopoly TELMEX increased service charges for a residential line from 105 to 290 pesos and extensions of that line went up from 35 pesos to 110 pesos. Long-distance calls within the country are now an average of 4.80 pesos per minute, much more costly than previously. The minimum rate for International calls will now only be charged for the first minute instead of the previous three minutes, which happily reduces the rate in this instance.
1994
Hundreds camp outto legalize US vehicles
Fans waiting all night outside a stadium to get tickets to the Big Game have nothing on Mexican owners of foreign-plated cars who have been waiting outside the offices of the Commerce Secretariat (SECOFI) in Guadalajara for as long as five days.
Behind this exercise in heroic patience is the government’s decision to “regularize” a certain number of the U.S.-plated vehicles that have been brought into Mexico. Two hundred thousand permits will be issued to entitle owners to “Mexicanize” their cars. The selection will be done by lottery, the results to be announced May 9.
While many will be left out in the cold (meaning they will have to return their cars to the United States), all want to obtain a lottery ticket so they will at least have a chance at “regularization.”
Intense demand for lottery tickets has caused pushing and shoving matches. As police were called on to quell one near-riot, an applicant complained that SECOFI employees were uncooperative in furnishing information they need to participate in the lottery. This lottery is only valid for Mexican citizens, not north-of-the-border folks living here.
2004
Lakeside Bird Park opens to public
The much anticipated Animal Shelter Bird Park in Riberas del Pilar will open its doors to the public April 17. Nearly 200 birds from almost 40 species will be on display with signage carrying basic information about the feathered creatures in English and Spanish. None of the birds are on endangered lists, but many of them originate in far-away lands, such as Egypt, Madagascar, China and Syria, along with various types of ducks that enjoy splashing about the pond and waterfall installed in the facility. All the birds are registered with the Mexican government, as required by law.
2014
Youth protest at new laws to govern Internet
When it comes to the issue of Internet freedoms, it’s best not to mess with the youth of the world. That seemed to be the message at a march held Monday protesting proposed telecom reforms that many young people in Mexico say will give the government a free hand to conduct selective web censorship and engage in cybernetic spying.
More than 5,000 young people from different universities and civic groups took part in the demonstration held in the Guadalajara city center. The march ended up at the local studios of Televisa, the giant broadcaster that protesters say stands to gain most from the changes to the Ley de Telecomuniciones.
The march, coordinated with protests taking place elsewhere in Mexico, including the capital and Monterrey, was organized through social media as a reaction to secondary legislation proposed in the wake of last year’s congressional approval of a new telecommunications law.
The legislation effectively allows Gobernacion (the Interior Secretariat) to censor television and internet content and suspend transmission of material it feels is not in the nation’s interests In addition, Internet providers will be allowed to “block access to certain content, applications or he user.”
Internet providers will also have to maintain a detailed list of consumer preferences and habits and share these with “competent authorities” whenever and for whatever reason requested. Its critics say the legislation is unclear on the definition of “competent authorities” and will enable the government to take control of the web in times of social unrest.
In theory, the new laws imply that intervention will only be permitted when national or public security is at risk but many people fear they will open the door for those in power to stifle freedom of expression and dissenting voices.
Another criticism of the law is that Internet providers will be able to give preferential bandwidth to different sites, and thus work in the best interest of certain companies, that may include broadcasting monopolies such as Televisa and TVAzteca.