Tapachula: Witness to the Storm, Tranquility of Changes in Mexico

I previously wrote that, "Among nations, collaborative work in harmony and in perfect synchrony is the best way to generate well-being and inclusive economic growth." As of the date of publication of this article, we have established a period of over 1,183 days in which Tapachula and the border municipalities of Chiapas have received the impact of the "Tsunami of the Immigrant Caravans." With the presence of 130,000 migrants, including families with infants, this number is in addition to the population between fixed and floating of 510,000 inhabitants. In previous articles, we have presented the challenges and the concrete lines of action from the administration of Tapachula, in coordination with the two levels of government and with the invaluable participation of civil society, that have allowed us to navigate these challenges.

In this period, and as a result of the behavior of the immigrants, important events have occurred, besides the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following paragraphs, I will specifically describe how the over 130,000 members of the “Tsunami of the Immigrant Caravans” interacted and continue to interact in Tapachula.

Current Situation

Currently, Tapachula is inundated with an unusual number of immigrants. The common denominator is that they need to obtain from our immigration authorities the document for safe-conduct necessary for free transit in Mexico to reach the border with the US.

Sources of Information

Among the methodologies that I particularly access are "Learning to Learn," as well as “Investigate, Plan, Develop and Articulate” so that I precisely define what, how and when I am going to do something, and how much it is going to cost me. I also articulate the Root Cause (RCA), Logical Framework and employ Tony Buzan’s TEFCAS (Trial, Event, Feedback, Check, Adjust and Success) success formula.

Analysis, Interpretation of Other Information Sources

It is valuable to emphasize that sources of employment, education, health and housing are streams of solid support that flow and nourish our socioeconomic structure to allow us to live in harmony, well-being and with all the means to develop and grow.

A society with the possession of the aforementioned factorials is on the path to generate wealth, which is measured by the universally accepted GDP.

In Graph 1, the names of the countries correspond to the immigrants who have requested the documentation from the National Migration Institute that allows them to stay in the country legally and gives them the ability to move within Mexico. It is important to note that although countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Chile are presented, the immigrants who initially left Haiti, settled there and report that as their country of origin are actually from other countries. For instance, a very large number of Haitians report from Brazil because they were there for the construction of the stadiums for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014.

We also highlight the concept of location and to identify as “Continental” those who come from within the American continent and “Extra Continental” for those immigrants who come from outside the American continent.

Pareto figures are decisive in demonstrating the predominance of wealth as a country and as a citizen of the same country. There are four predominant entities manifested in Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Cuba. From the countries mentioned above, only Cuba does have a national presence of immigrant citizens, while the other three are referenced and substantively Haitian immigrants.

It is also noteworthy that the Northern Triangle countries continue to form the Pareto figure until reaching 100 percent of the sample.

On the continent, Canada, the US and Mexico constitute a globally representative trade bloc in economic and social terms. These countries have ratified the continuity of NAFTA through the new USMCA. The following graph shows each of the three countries’ per-capita expenditure as a part of GDP on Health and Education:

In Tabular Graph 6, we present the ratios obtained by the quotients of the countries where the immigrants come from in relation to USMCA countries. Let us bear in mind the true origin of the immigrants from Brazil, Colombia and Chile. The figures alone are explained:

In Tapachula, and along the entire Coastal Highway 200 toward Mexico City, from October to the first week of December 2021, the Time Graph reports the following events:

In the few weeks before Oct. 22, 2021, immigrants organized in caravans to leave from the center of Tapachula and go to Mexico City. In their first attempt, the National Guard, the National Immigration Institute (INM) and security forces of the three levels of government prevented their departure; however, in the following attempts, the immigrants achieved their mission. On the Coastal Highway 200, which connects Tepic, Nayarit to Puente Talisman, Chiapas, passing through the city of Tapachula, along the section from Arriaga, Chiapas, to Tapachula, Chiapas, at least three blockades were generated, affecting the economic and social activity of the Istmo Costa, Soconusco regions and international trade with the Central American Corridor (valued at US$9,200 million, at least).

From the beginning of December 2021, more than 480 buses are used to transport at least 23,250 immigrants free of charge to 10 states in Mexico. Now, immigrants attempt to gain the attention of the Mexican government. If they do not get it, they block avenues, highways and they even take aggressive actions. The sensitive factor is that the population and transporters have taken action on the matter.

Perspectives

The Integral Development Plan signed between the UN Economic Mission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is integrated into five basic organizational ideas, the first of which establishes the general objective and its specific objectives. The second defines the concrete steps of action to establish economic development and growth. The third establishes the lines of action to establish the well-being of the population of the countries of the Northern Triangle and the states and municipalities of the south-southeast of Mexico and Tapachula. The fourth establishes what is necessary to generate sustainability and the fifth defines the logical and legal structure for an administration on the issue of immigration from the perspective of resilience in the generation of employment and the expected benefits.

The second part of this article will discuss how Tapachula and the municipalities of the Coastal Border Strip of Chiapas with Guatemala, as well as the Isthmus Coastal region of the state of Chiapas ended 2021 and have rested their hopes on articulating the Integral Development Plan.