February 5, 2003 - The Olympian: Dominican Republic RPCVs Len Wersch and Ellen Jones being forced out of Rancho Esmeralda by Zapatistas in Mexico
Peace Corps Online:
Peace Corps News:
Headlines:
Peace Corps Headlines - 2003:
02 February 2003 Peace Corps Headlines:
February 5, 2003 - The Olympian: Dominican Republic RPCVs Len Wersch and Ellen Jones being forced out of Rancho Esmeralda by Zapatistas in Mexico
Dominican Republic RPCVs Len Wersch and Ellen Jones being forced out of Rancho Esmeralda by Zapatistas in Mexico
Read and comment on this story from The Olympian on Dominican Republic RPCVs len Wersch and Ellen Jones who are being forced out of Rancho Esmeralda by Zapatistas in Mexico. The conflict is part of the rebels' battle against foreign investment and eco-tourism, the small-scale, environmentally friendly operations that were supposed to help save the jungles where the Zapatistas have their last redoubts. "We don't want any American tourists. ... We don't want any tourists at all," said Gabriel, a black-clad Zapatista guarding a roadblock near the ranch who gave only his first name. "We don't want strangers coming around." Over the last two weeks, Zapatista sympathizers have detained and threatened a group of French and Canadian kayakers on a jungle river, blocked access to Rancho Esmeralda, the U.S.-owned ranch and guesthouse, and allegedly kidnapped and beat a ranch employee. Those who suffer the most from this ideologically fueled battle may not be the tourists, but the Mexicans who depend on tourism for their livelihood. Read the story at:
Rebels Threaten Ranchers, Run Tourists Out of Region*
* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.
Rebels Threaten Ranchers, Run Tourists Out of Region
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NUEVO JERUSALEM, Mexico -- Zapatista rebels are threatening to seize a ranch and guest-house owned by U.S. citizens and are running tourists out of parts of southern Chiapas state -- an unexpected turn for a country whose third-largest income source is tourism.
The conflict is part of the rebels' battle against foreign investment and eco-tourism, the small-scale, environmentally friendly operations that were supposed to help save the jungles where the Zapatistas have their last redoubts.
"We don't want any American tourists. ... We don't want any tourists at all," said Gabriel, a black-clad Zapatista guarding a roadblock near the ranch who gave only his first name. "We don't want strangers coming around."
Over the last two weeks, Zapatista sympathizers have detained and threatened a group of French and Canadian kayakers on a jungle river, blocked access to Rancho Esmeralda, the U.S.-owned ranch and guesthouse, and allegedly kidnapped and beat a ranch employee.
Those who suffer the most from this ideologically fueled battle may not be the tourists, but the Mexicans who depend on tourism for their livelihood.
"This is an injustice. The government should solve this problem, but instead they just let it go unpunished," said Ernesto Cruz, 21, a ranch employee who said he was kidnapped and beaten for six hours last week by rebel supporters in the nearby village of Nuevo Jerusalem.
Gabriel, the Zapatista, said Tuesday that Cruz was "detained for interrogation," but not beaten. The Zapatistas deny they have plans to seize the ranch, but said they want to force out the owners, Idaho natives Glen Wersch and Ellen Jones, and then decide what to do with the land.
That was the same message sent to a half-dozen French and Canadian kayakers who set off Jan. 25 for a planned five-day trip down Chiapas' Jatate River, which runs into the heart of the Lacandon jungle.
"They pulled us out of the water and held us for about four hours, locked up," said Ernesto Lopez, the kayakers' guide. "At first they were pretty threatening, with machetes, and said they were going to burn the boats."
In the end, the villagers released them -- after one boater was forced to pay a "fine" -- but Lopez said the rebel supporters told the group they couldn't continue down the river, citing Zapatista positions against foreign investment and tourism.
"I think they were easier on us because it was a group of French and Canadians, but I don't know how it would have been if they were Americans. I think it might have been tougher," Lopez said.
The dispute over the Americans' ranch now appears to be coming to a head.
Since mid-December, rebel sympathizers from the village of Nuevo Jerusalem -- about 50 miles east of Chiapas' main tourist destination, the colonial city of San Cristobal de las Casas -- have blocked roads leading to the ranch.
In the last week, they threatened employees and cut water lines, forcing the ranch's guests to leave.
The American owners have vowed not to leave their property, but without water, supplies or access, they're basically trapped on the 26-acre spread of tropical flowers, coffee plants and macadamia groves.
"It's getting ugly," Wersch said by telephone. "But we're not walking away, at least until we get compensated at fair market value."
Wersch and Jones came to Chiapas in 1993 after a two-year stint in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic inspired them to mix environmentally friendly agriculture with a tourist getaway. They set up cabins where guests could see how coffee is grown and harvested -- and drink it as well.
Chiapas state officials have done little to protect the Americans. Police don't enter rebel villages, fearing a violent rebel backlash if they do.
And when the U.S. government pressed Mexico to do more to protect the Americans, Chiapas Gov. Pablo Salazar accused the Americans of provoking the rebels, because some ranch guests allegedly once wore camouflage clothing.
Zapatista supporters frequently claim the tourists are spies or disguised Mexican soldiers researching plans to attack rebel communities.
"They said our kayak helmets were military helmets, and our life vests were flak jackets," said Lopez, the river guide.
In the rebels' view, tourism and investment -- in the jungle cabins and new phone lines in rural areas -- are signs of a foreign effort to invade their land.
But some residents fear the rebels could end up betraying the goals of their struggle, which began with a 1994 uprising aimed at improving conditions and getting autonomy for Indian areas.
"Jobs are scarce," said Cruz, the ranch employee. "And if we lose these, there might not be more."
Click on a link below for more stories on PCOL
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Dominican Republic; COS - Mexico; Special Interests - Tourism; Special Interests - Eco-tourism
PCOL2471
79
.
|
By Jessica Simpson (12-202-231-15.client.insightbb.com - 12.202.231.15) on Thursday, February 05, 2004 - 5:51 pm: Edit Post |
Peace Corps Rocks! They save lives with their efforts, and will always be helping great people do great things. I am considering making a song to promote the Peace Corps, so perhaps more people will recognize what value it does to peple. I know they helped these fine people in Dominican Republic, just like how they help others all around the world. Even if I stand alone on my opinion, I will always love Peace Corps!
