Citizens Revolt against Heating Costs
The people of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, have been through a lot during the last two years. A drug war with no end in sight has left more than 4,000 people dead, and other serious crimes including kidnapping and extortion are way up. With more than 10,000 businesses now shuttered, according to local business groups, tens of thousands of jobs have evaporated.
Even a brief escape from the madness is something of an ordeal as wait times to cross the international bridges to neighboring El Paso remain long and grueling, the installation of additional US inspection lanes nothwithstanding. To top it all off, a winter cold spell has sent local heating bills soaring.
Jolted by sticker shock, resident Sergio Sanchez reported getting a bill from the Juarez Natural Gas company for nearly $800. "I don't know how I am going to pay," Sanchez said.
Many Juarenses have now drawn the line. Led by the new Democratic Citizens Movement, a campaign against Juarez Natural Gas seeks the revocation of the company's federal concession to commercialize natural gas, allegedly for engaging in abusive business practices and causing grave damages to the local economy. Owned by the Fuentes-family connected Grupo Imperial consortium, Juarez Natural Gas gets its energy supplies under an agreement with the state-owned Pemex company.
In recent days, consumer activists have distributed 100,000 leaflets and gathered signatures for a petition at busy intersections in the city. By Monday, January 18, the movement claimed to have exceeded its goal of more than 50,000 signatures in just five days.
Activists have set up a Facebook page as well as a website to promote their cause. An unscientific poll conducted on the website claimed 988 responses as of January 18. Nearly 60 percent of the respondents, or 570 people, reported paying between $80 and $250 for their last bill, with the upper amounts representing very high bills by Mexican standards. Only 13 percent of respondents indicated their gas bills were between $40 and $80, while 14 percent, or 137 people, reported paying bills greater than $300.
In response to high gas charges, the website urges residents to withold their latest payments, switch to supposedly cheaper butane or LPG gas and demand the refund of tens of millions of dollars in alleged overcharges.
A broad spectrum of political opinion supports the movement, including indiviudals associated with the PAN, PRD and PT parties. Business groups like the Maquiladora Association have joined with a variety of civil society groups to back the campaign. Notably, distributors of butane gas are also involved.
In comments to a local reporter, Juarez Natural Gas spokesman Jose Mendoza Rangel contended that disinformation about the price difference between natural and butane gas was confusing public opinion. Mendoza said his company was trying to get a better price for natural gas, but rates were established by Mexico's federal government back in 2008 when international energy prices were higher than now. He suggested that politicians, instead of bashing Juarez Natural Gas, work with the Calderon administration to get a better basic energy price rate for all parties involved.
Mendoza also added that the campaign against Juarez Natural Gas has a "political-electoral tint." In 2010, Chihuahua will be among 12 Mexican states fielding state elections.
Federal Congresswoman Maria Antonieta Perez Reyes of the center right PAN party said activists plan to file 100 formal complaints against Juarez Natural Gas with the Attorney General for Consumer Protection (Profeco) this week. "(Profeco) has to get involved," Perez said. "Never before has there been 100 formal complaints accompanied by 50,000 signatures of inconformity." Perez added that the campaign will lobby for a Congressional resolution supporting the yanking of Juarez Natural Gas' concession.
Sponsored by the Mercados Populares organization, a march against Juarez Natural Gas was scheduled for Tuesday, January 19.
"We are inviting citizens and consumers to a demonstration," said group leader Lorenzo Munoz. "The price of energy is unsustainable for the income of families."
Sources: Arrobajuarez.com, January 19, 2010. Lapolaka.com, January 18, 2010. Norte, January 15, 16, 18, 19, 2010. Articles by Nohemi Barraza, Antonio Rebolledo, Herika Martinez Prado, and Francisco Lujan. El Diario de Juarez, January 17, 18 and 19, 2010. Articles by Juan de Dios Olivas and Sandra Rodriguez Nieto. El Diario de Chihuahua, August 12, 2009.
This article was available thru Frontera Norte Sur, which is an online publication through NMSU about the U.S.-Mexico border-you can access the website if you click on the link above.
