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Tijuana group cancels forums


Business leaders seek end to killings
By Anna Cearley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 26, 2006

TIJUANA – Concerned that a rash of violence is affecting tourism and investment, local business leaders yesterday announced a series of drastic measures meant to force bickering crime-fighting agencies to work together.

Members of the Consejo Coordinador Empresarial Tijuana are flexing their clout by canceling three upcoming binational forums, one of which was scheduled to take place today with San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG, and other U.S. officials.

The unprecedented actions also include a boycott of any official government events or reunions held by city, state or federal officials, according to the group's communique.

“We don't want to slow down the normal pace of the social and economic activities of our city . . . the only thing we want is that the three branches of government bring back to Tijuanans the peace and security,” said Daniel Romero, president of the Consejo, an umbrella group.

Violence has gripped Tijuana in recent weeks, following the detention by U.S. authorities of suspected drug cartel kingpin Francisco Javier Arellano Félix. Five police officials with local, state and federal agencies, have been killed this month.

A couple of weeks ago, a U.S. citizen and a waitress were killed when gunmen opened fire on a Tijuana restaurant where police were dining, and last week a bystander was injured when another group of gunmen ambushed an assistant city police chief.

Some have speculated that the violence is due to the Arellanos settling scores or lashing out at rival groups, but the business organization downplayed that scenario.

“We don't share the vision of those trying to reduce this grave problem to a domestic situation between criminal groups,” Romero said. He said the problem is more complex than that.

The situation has been exacerbated by various police agencies blaming one another. Last week the Mexican attorney general's office said the violence was due to the involvement of city police with the Arellanos. But city police authorities have said state and federal officials failed to do their part, and believe that military intervention is required. Though the business group's actions are aimed at all three police groups, Romero said state authorities should “assume their responsibility in soliciting the military presence in our city.”

Romero and 13 other leaders of business associations that represent local industries such as restaurants and maquiladoras, signed the communique calling for more efforts from the government. The associations are all part of the Consejo.

Business leaders didn't provide any dollar figures as to how business is being affected, but they spoke of empty seats at restaurants as more people – both tourists and residents – opt to stay away.

Francisco Villegas Peralta, president of an association that represents restaurants, said kidnappings of business people have declined in recent weeks, but other violence was hurting business.

“We have had a lot of losses in the year and a half or two years of insecurity, but the last few weeks have been terrible,” he said. “The people in Tijuana went out to eat before, but now we don't see it.”

Romero announced several other cancellations of upcoming binational events: A restaurant industry convention planned for February 2007, and an Oct. 3 event billed as the Second Binational Encounter of Business People.

Hector Vanegas, manager of border programs for SANDAG, said the regional government association was disappointed to hear that today's event – Foro Binacional Para la Competitividad y el Desarrollo Regional,Binational Forum for Competitiveness and Regional Development – was being canceled.

He said SANDAG views the dispute as an internal matter, and that it wouldn't take sides because it met regularly with government officials as well as business leaders.

“It is a very sad situation that it gets to this point where the private sector is taking these kinds of measures,” he said.


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Anna Cearley: (619) 542-4595; anna.cearley@uniontrib.com