http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/16773.html

Town named after Fox looks for aid
BY ALEJANDRO SUVERZA
El Universal
Domingo 29 de enero de 2006
Miami Herald, página 1

For 25 families living in the community of Licenciado Vicente Fox Quesada in Veracruz near the Oaxaca border, their town´s name is no joke.

When this tiny town posted a sign with their new name, passersby were taken aback. People in neighboring communities came asking if the president had recently bought or owned land in the area. Bus drivers on the highway refused to stop there fearing that it was prohibited. The day a teacher from another town arrived to begin classes, he only managed to bottle his curiosity for a few minutes before blurting out "What´s with the name?"

The answer to the question has its roots in the numerous signs posted along the region´s highway declaring the success of President Vicente Fox´s "government of change." With that message being driven into the heads of the town´s residents, they decided to put Fox´s message to a test.

After a few town meetings, the name change was decided.

According to the town´s founder, Julián Méndez Ambrosio, they chose the president´s name as their own to see if the government might help them secure farm land. "The townspeople agreed to use that name to see if they would help us."

LOOKING FOR CHANGE

The residents hoped that by naming themselves after the head of the "government of change," some of that change might come their way.

The town had endured many years of frustration with the governments led by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which controlled Mexico for 71 years until Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) won the presidency in 2000. Fox´s victory gave them hope.

But the new government left Méndez puzzled. He saw the highway signs, the television ads and heard the speeches on the radio. Everyone thought Fox´s government was genuinely improving life. But the changes had yet to materialize for the town.

Méndez said, "Maybe the government is like the father of a family with many children with only enough shoes and clothes for some and not for all."


From the highway, one can see the roofs cobbled together from fiberglass sheets and hay. A number of huts are built on a hill looking out at the horizon. There live 25 families including at least 40 children. There is no water and no electricity, but at least the school is up and running.

Town official Tomás Reyes, his children and some neighbors have nearly finished laying down the foundation of house number 24. By the end of the week, the town will have finished house number 25. Women and men gather around, looking on with curiosity.

These families come from a number of nearby communities in Veracruz and Oaxaca. Reyes wants to know if Vicente Fox is yet aware of their situation.

CALLING FOR HELP

Earlier this month, they sent a letter to the president to make him aware of his namesake town. For years, there has been a land purchase agreement with the neighboring town of Santiago Sochiapan, but the deal has been held up by red tape. The letter asks Fox for help speeding things up.

The town has already been using the land in question for seven years. They have filed the case with the Agrarian Reform Secretariat, but have yet to receive any answer. Reyes said that the current owners of the land are in agreement with the townspeople and authorized the sale of the land two years ago.

Now, they are asking Fox to make the sale of the 400 hectares legally binding so it truly belongs to the town.


For Margarita Cruz Aquino, the town´s name is fine with her. She said most of the town is illiterate and this is one of the few names everyone could remember.

Resident Manuel Duarte says he gets funny looks when he tells people where he is from. He says that many are surprised when they first see the name, but feels the name makes sense.

"It is the name of our president and the caretaker of our national heritage. May he give a little to our children as our people sit by desperately while the government does nothing for us. We came from places with no work, where there is no way to earn money to buy land."

Méndez, an indigenous man who speaks Zapotec, said the townsfolk are clinging on to the town because they do not want to leave and look for work elsewhere.

As night falls, Méndez said, "Why are there so many ads saying the ´change´ is moving forward when nothing is happening here? God would want him to do this for us. And, you know, if he doesn´t, we´ll just change the name again."