I walked down to the zócalo today. Not exactly big news, I know, but the truth is, I’ve been avoiding it. However, I was out of dried cranberries and pecans and had to go to the Mercado Benito Juárez to restock the larder.
New posters have gone up on building walls, this one calling for justice for the victims of the previous governor (Ulises Ruiz Ortiz) and preparations for a general political strike against the structural reforms (education and the state-owned oil industry, of which I’ve previously written) recently passed by the federal government.
The zócalo and surrounding streets continue to be filled with teachers, tents, and al fresco kitchens. No surprise, this is causing a traffic nightmare and parking is at even more of a premium than usual. However, if you are in need of a pit stop for you or your car, this one is on Trujano at 20 de noviembre.
The restaurants under the portales on the zócalo have been especially impacted — some had patrons sipping their morning coffee and hot chocolate while looking out over the sea of tents, tarps, and banners and some were empty.
If you are tired of reading the newspaper accounts, D-II-218 of the Telesecundarias (rural distance education programs) from Miahuatlán has provided a poster so you can read up on the issues in dispute from the teachers’ point of view.
However, if you are tired of it all, you can always stop by the local newsstand to catch up on what’s really important — the opening of Home Depot (an OMG! OMG! OMG! event for some) or, if you are so inclined, graphic images of crime and violence. By the way, regarding the latter, I stumbled on a website that gives A Vague History of La Nota Roja.
What can I say? Good news is in short supply, no matter where one looks. The handwriting seems to be on the wall here, there, and everywhere…
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