In this monthly series, we republish a few of the headlines from our March editions 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 years ago.
1965
Retirement Center Sparks Interest in Guadalajara
A new retirement center is planned for the Colinas de San Javier community by Centro de Vivienda para Retiros S.A. So far, infrastructure such as sewers, paved streets, electricity, and water have been installed, and the company has acquired land for 300 homes. The site is just five blocks from the new Centro Deportivo Revolución municipal sports center and near Los Colomos park, where many new flowering trees have recently been planted. The company’s international advertising campaign has generated interest in Guadalajara, with CBS TV News filming the groundbreaking for two model homes, which reached an audience of about 20 million viewers in the U.S.
1975
Spring Ball to Help Fund Ajijic Auditorio
U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. John Jova, along with Canadian Ambassador and Mrs. Maurice Schwartzman, will attend the “April in Paris Ball” at Club Nautico in Ajijic next month. The spring event aims to raise final funds for the Municipal Auditorium currently under construction in Ajijic. The auditorium is the first step in a joint American-Mexican project to create a multifunctional cultural center at Lakeside. A 10,000 peso contribution was also presented to the honorary chairman of the event, Hector Marquez, by the Lakeside Little Theatre.
1985
Girl Kidnapped for the Second Time by Narco Kingpin
For the second time in less than three months, the daughter of one of Guadalajara’s leading citizens was abducted by Rafael Caro Quintero, a notorious drug trafficker, in an apparent attempt to convince the 17-year-old girl to marry him. Caro Quintero, a 32-year-old “kingpin” in the narcotics trade and a prime suspect in the murder of U.S. DEA agent Enrique Camarena Salazar, admitted to kidnapping Sara Cosio Martinez in December 1984. He took her to Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, where she was held for 10 days. The girl is the daughter of the former director of Jalisco’s Education Department and the niece of the current head of the PRI in Mexico City.
The Federal Attorney General’s office convinced Caro Quintero to release the girl in exchange for a “loosening” of surveillance on his illicit activities. Caro Quintero met Sara Cosio when he moved into a large house two blocks from her home in Ciudad del Sol. He sent her lavish gifts, including two luxury cars and daily bouquets of expensive flowers. Although she rejected his advances, he continued his aggressive courtship.
The second kidnapping occurred after a high-speed chase involving eight armed men in two vehicles. They stopped the car driven by the girl’s brother, and with her mother holding onto her, Sara was forcibly removed from the car and dragged away.
1995
Business Leaders Fume as 15% IVA Hike Is Approved
During last year’s presidential election campaign, Mexican voters were promised that Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León would ensure the “well-being” of their families. Last week, that promise haunted the president as he struggled to gain public approval for his tough economic plan.
Almost all PRI (ruling party) legislators voted in favor of increasing the IVA (value-added tax) by 50 percent to 15% on sales. Opposition parties unanimously voted against the measure. The increase is expected to raise an additional 19 billion dollars for the government. Medicines and some basic foods are exempt, and the tax does not apply along Mexico’s border with the U.S.
The private sector fears that thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses may go bankrupt due to the IVA hike and the continued high interest rates, which are hovering around 100 percent. A projected four-percent negative growth rate for the next two years is exactly the opposite of what Mexican business leaders say is needed.
2005
Mexico Ends Death Penalty
The death penalty was abolished from the Mexican penal code in 1929 and has not been considered in civil courts since 1961. It was also removed from military proceedings in April of last year.
On March 17, the Mexican Senate permanently abolished the death penalty by removing it from the country’s constitution. Although the reform was largely symbolic, it had emerged as a campaign issue during the last congressional election. Other punishments, including mutilation, branding, whipping, and flogging, were also stricken from the text.
2015
First Generation of Huichol Lawyers Graduate
In a groundbreaking achievement, 27 young men and women from the Wixarika (Huichol) indigenous group in northern Jalisco and Nayarit graduated with law degrees after more than three years of study at the University of Guadalajara.
The pioneering Niuweme Project has been hailed as the first of its kind in Mexico for indigenous students. During their studies, the students received specialized training in human rights and worked closely with the Jalisco Commission for Human Rights (CEDH).
CEDH President Felipe Alvarez Cibrian congratulated the students and expressed confidence that they would take their knowledge back to their communities and advocate for human rights.