Richard Jernigan -> RE: This is why I dont want to travel to Paracho (Mar. 30 2013 0:08:28)
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The "corruption" in Mexico has been the normal order of business throughout my lifetime, and according to stories I have heard, it was during the lifetimes of my father and grandfather. As far as I know, it has been the normal order of business all the way back to colonial times, when it was the order of business in Spain as well. Being a firmly embedded element of culture, it seemed to me not to be a serious impediment. Its added cost was probably offset by tax evasion, etc. In 1961 two friends and I spent the summer camping out in Mexico. Out in the country we went well armed. This was normal in those days. No one took offense. It probably saved us some trouble on one or two occasions. When we planned to spend six weeks in the jungle in Yucatan and Quintana Roo, we visited the U.S. Consul in Merida. He was in his mid to late 30s, a Kennedy "New Frontier" appointee. After a half hour of discussion, he seemed to conclude that we knew what we were doing, and relaxed a bit. In fact, he relaxed enough to tell us a sad story, and to ask my advice. They entered Mexico by car at Nuevo Laredo, he, his wife and young children and his Spanish mother-in-law. His diplomatic passport had been sent to the Foreign Ministry in Mexico City. At the time, Mexico did not recognize the Franco government of Spain. Mexican Immigration refused entry for his mother-in-law. Upon presentation, they also seized the passports of his wife and children. Attempting to return to the USA, they were refused entry, because they had no passports. Stuck on the bridge, they finally realized that their only recourse was to bribe the Mexicans. They probably would have paid a lot less if they had proposed to pay right away without causing trouble, and in the process revealing they could probably afford a nice sum. They went on to Mexico City. collected his diplomatic passport, and made the drive to Merida, something of an adventure in those days. Promptly upon setting up shop in Merida, the Consul was visited by the head of Immigration for the State of Yucatan. Woefully, he explained to me, he was beng shaken down monthly over the status of his mother-in-law. It wasn'nt a totally unaffordable sum, but it was enough to sting. And he seemed to think it was not in keeping with the dignity of his post. Did I have a suggestion? My suggestion was that he invite the immigration guy in for a cup of coffee when he came, have his secretary give him the money in an envelope as he departed, and send him a little present at Christmas time. This was seen as corruption by the Consul, seen by me as the normal course of business to deal with a potentially difficult problem. What is new to me in the last ten years or so is the greatly increased level of violence against foreigners, and the savagely depraved barbarity of the criminal element. Mexican outlaws used to be lot classier. I think the Colombian narcotraficantes have been a bad influence. Nothing against civilized Colombians, of course. RNJ
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