The Arizona-Mexico Commission Plenary Session was held in Phoenix June 11-13. I attended as a representative of El Futuro. The Commission is made up of agencies, business people and individuals from both countries working together, with primary emphasis on Arizona and Sonora.
Many of the older representatives to the commission see strong, positive change taking place. Changes in attitudes, opportunities, socio-economical, political, and ways of doing business are all being seen and felt. It was truly heartening to see the friendships and alliances being formed and the conversations taking place about shared concerns from both sides of the border.
One of the achievements announced was the Arizona-Sonora Strategic Economic Vision, a result of more than four years of negotiations aimed at improving the economic future of both states. The agreement consists of the following six initiatives, proposed jointly by Governors Jane Dee Hull of Arizona and Armando Lopez Nogales of Sonora.
·1 Develop Arizona and Sonora as a single economic region
·2 Establish Arizona and Sonora as a major trade corridor hub
·3 Eliminate trade barriers
·4 Stimulate joint industrial development within key industry clusters
·5 Develop new markets for regional products and services
·6 Improve the region's overall economic competitiveness
Studies already completed as a result of the Economic Vision are in the areas of:
·1 Agribusiness
·2 Mining
·3 Manufacturing
·4 Quality of Life
·5 Financing for Growth and Development
·6 Health Services
·7 Tourism
·8 Transportation and Distribution
·9 International Business Services
·10 Physical Infrastructure
Many of these studies have already produced partnerships, conferences, contacts, and improvements. For example the "Arizona-Sonora Gateway Construction Joint Roudtable Conference" was held in Hermosillo on March 27, 1998, focusing on financing and joint ventures along the border. On April 15 "The U.S. Initiative for Food Safety Seminar" was held. Changes in the maquila industry are also being implemented as a result of these studies. And these are only a few examples.
With the introduction of the Internet into Mexico, doors are opening in the areas of communication, education, research and laws. By typing penasco.com the world can see the steady increase of interest in the seaport community of Puerto Peñasco. As this community sets a major precedent in opening its doors to the world, others will follow.
Governor Lopez Nogales of Sonora announced that he has made it a priority to get the Puerto Peñasco International Airport fully operational, that this is one of the most important strategies to promote business and tourism in the area. My late friend, the airport comandante, would be glad to hear this. Too bad he didn't live to see it take place.
Governor Hull and her representatives were there as hosts and did a good job of keeping things going while providing supportive and informative materials, but not one U.S. congressman was present to face the concerns of the new visa requirements that are blatantly aimed at Mexico. Hardly any of the state and county politicians from U.S. border counties and communities were in attendance for this prime opportunity to share their problems with counterparts from Sonora.
Governor Hull has expressed her concern about the cost of the new Laser Visa program (see article elsewhere in this issue), which will make it much more expensive and time-consuming for the average Mexican family to visit and spend money in the U.S. She has recommended that:
I wonder about the message that the U.S. government is sending to Mexico. Immigrants made America. Yet now their descendents are closing the door to other immigrants. Remember how Reagan stood at the Berlin Wall and demanded that Gorbachev tear it down because it separated family, friends, and businesses? How happy everyone was when the German people took sledgehammers to it and destroyed it. Now we are building walls between the U.S. and Mexico, and there are members in Congress who want to send military troops to the Mexican border.
Most of the media representatives in attendance were from Mexican or Hispanic media. Coverage in the U.S. was limited to a few lines of copy in the Arizona Daily Star and Arizona Republic. KVOA had 10 seconds on the Saturday night news. In contrast, Telemundo and other Hispanic media had reporters covering many areas of the conference. The question I heard repeatedly was: Is this not newsworthy to the people of Arizona?
Instead of reporting positive Mexican accomplishments, U.S. papers feature front page articles on cock-fights, items about revolution in Chiapas, stories of bad real estate deals and the wild orgies of Spring Break in Puerto Peñasco, and warnings on traveling to Mexico. Where are the success stories?
The Arizona-Mexico Commission is one way to bring people and businesses from both sides of the border together to improve the communication between our peoples. After coming back from the conference I feel that Governor Armando Lopez Nogales of Sonora and Governor Jane Dee Hull of Arizona are making serious advances to better the lives of people on both sides of the border.
For Spanish
Go Back (to archives)
