Mexico violence destroys border cities' ties, tourism
Narco-gang violence is killing tourism and cooperation along the U.S.-Mexico border; the violence — and a dramatic tightening of border security by the United States over fears of terrorism — have also strangled cooperative relationships among officials of many “sister cities”; in many cases, professional friendships and cross-border ties among city leaders, and police and fire departments, have fallen by the wayside
Over the last decade, rising waves of narco violence in Mexico and a dramatic tightening of border security by the United States over fears of terrorism have strangled cooperative relationships between officials of many “sister cities.”
In many cases, professional friendships and cross-border ties among city leaders, and police and fire departments, have fallen by the wayside.
Brownsville police, for example, could count until not long ago on their counterparts in Matamoros to help recover stolen cars and catch fugitives, but the relationship is all but dead. “It became almost nonexistent about a year ago. We don’t have a liaison officer anymore,” said Brownsville police chief Carlos Garcia.
The same is true upriver in Roma, which sits across the bridge from Miguel Aleman. “It’s been six or seven years since I felt we could call there and get help. Now you don’t know who you are talking to,” said Capt. Francisco Garcia.
Long history
The Houston Chronicle reports that in Laredo, which has perhaps the deepest ties across the Rio Grande, the annual “Abrazo” ceremony will be held in February for the 114th time, with children and public officials of each country embracing in the middle of the international bridge.
Symbolism and goodwill aside, border relationships here, too, are fading. Laredo city manager Carlos Villarreal, 63, who has worked with eight Nuevo Laredo mayors more than forty years, could always rely on Mexican colleagues in a pinch. “When a problem arose, you could get someone you knew on the other side to help,” he said.
Officials from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo used to confer and socialize regularly at meetings of the “Committee de Los Dos Laredos.” Staff members played competitive baseball games, and department heads helped each other in emergencies.
The common roots here go back centuries to when both cities were part of Mexico. When the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, ending war between the United States and Mexico, it split the Laredo community into two. The smaller part on the south side of the river was renamed Nuevo Laredo.
The modern-day relationship became more difficult over the last decade as Zeta gangsters tightened their harsh grip on Nuevo Laredo. While city officials still meet at events arranged by consular officials, the intimacy is gone.
“In harm’s way”
The Laredo Fire Department stopped responding to fires in Mexico two years ago. “I said, there is so much violence there, I won’t put my personnel in
