In this monthly series, we republish a few of the headlines from our March editions 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
1970
Tourist swindler hard at work
Five U.S. tourists have been swindled out of US$20 each since the beginning of the year, three only last week by the infamous false “police lieutenant,” who has been in operation in Guadalajara since 1965.
The “lieutenant” approaches the tourist (usually in the downtown Guadalajara area) and says he is a plainclothes Mexican policeman. He knows some English and some facts on Mexican law. He then tells them that 1) they have passed a counterfeit bill or money order, or 2) are not carrying their tourist cards with them and must be jailed pending an inquiry.
This clever con-man then offers to accept bond money in the form of a 20-dollar bill, upon the tourist’s commitment to appear the next day for a hearing.
If this should happen to you, insist on going to the police station or on talking personally to someone at the U.S. Consulate. Those who have tried this have found that the “lieutenant” quickly fades away.
1980
Communists stir debate in Congress
Of the three new parties that won sufficient votes to qualify as legally registered political forces, it was the Communist Party that came out on top, taking third place in the elections after the National Action Party, which held onto its traditional role as the loyal opposition.
The Communists are credited with causing a healthy stir in Congress by taking their jobs seriously and adding depth and interest to the debates. Before the arrival of the Communists, speeches in the Chamber of Deputies were looked upon as just so much bombast. Now the 18 members of the third party and other smaller leftist parties are drawing the deputies into heated debates on major political questions. While there is no doubt that the executive branch is still the ultimate source of national power, Presidential bills that used to be almost sacrosanct, are now challenged and frequently altered. As a result, attendance of the members has improved, while unusual numbers of lobbyists, newsmen and visitors are also on hand to follow proceedings and unrest.
1990
Measles epidemic spreads
As Mexico reels under the worst sarampión (measles) epidemic for five years, health authorities have advised parents to re-inoculate all children under the age of five. Some 24 billion pesos will be spent on a program to inoculate some 12 million pre-school children. Reports that low quality or outdated measles vaccines have been applied to children in many economically blighted areas of the Republic have surfaced in recent weeks. Mexico’s Secretary of Health has assured the public that all vaccines used in Mexico undergo rigorous quality controls. Despite that claim, more than one million doses of measles vaccine have been ordered from the United States, the first time in five years that medicine of this nature has been imported. Some five percent of the 17,000 projected cases of measles nationwide will be fatal, estimated Dionisio Aceves, director of Preventative Medicine at the Department of Health and Social Welfare. The recent outbreak has hit the Sierra Huichol in Jalisco with some 90 deaths reported according to unofficial reports.
2000
US envoy kicks up a storm
A wave of protest gripped Mexico after U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow alluded to this country as being the headquarters of drug trafficking in the world.
Talking in Spanish in front of alumni from the University of California in Mexico City, Davidow said the “most important cartels in the world are run by Mexicans.” And “like the headquarters of the Mafia are in Sicily, the headquarters of drug trafficking are in various countries, and Mexico is one of those.”
The Mexican Foreign Relations Secretariat immediately criticized the ambassador’s remarks, saying they did not reflect the current cooperation between the two countries in the fight against drug trafficking. Senators and federal deputies from all parties expressed their displeasure at Davidow, who many believed was pandering to U.S. domestic interests.
2010
New media park dubbed Chapalawood
Chapala is poised to become Mexico’s answer to Hollywood in the eyes of Jalisco Governor Emilio Gonzalez Marquez, leaders of the state technology industry, local educators and some big-name Mexican film stars. All were on hand for the grand opening of the Chapala Media Park, a new multimedia production complex located just off the Libramiento bypass. It is designed to house high-tech enterprises dedicated to the fields of animation, special effects, 3-D imaging, audiovisuals, sound tracks and dubbing, video games and application for new generation telephones.
Laid out on two hectares of land, with room to grow to double that size, the complex currently comprises two large buildings set behind the hot pink monolith marking the main entrance. A glass-enclosed business center housing an audio recording studio, ample office space and a cutting-edge data processing center stand opposite a fully equipped film studio annex. The project was funded with 25.8 million pesos of federal funds, 30 million pesos of state funds and 40 million from the private sector.
Editor’s note: in August 2016 the headline was “Chapala Media Park turns into white elephant,” as the state government dropped funding and private enterprise became disenchanted with the project. By August 2019, the park was abandoned with problems of theft of equipment and poor vigilance and upkeep of the facility.