Each week we select articles from local newspapers that amuse or interest us and then translate them into English. We wish to stress that these translations are literal --English versions of exactly what was originally written in Spanish by reporters for Por Esto, Diario de Quintana Roo, Novedades and El Seminario. It should also be mentioned that we cannot always verify the facts in the stories we publish here. We leave that job to the newspaper that originally published the article.

Note: These articles are a great deal of work to find and translate. They are under copyright. But we all know what a temptation it is to want to share interesting info all over the internet. We don't mind you copying short snippets. But .....

The Cozumel News in English, Vol 30

May 6-May 13, 2005

We would like to give special thanks for the very kind assistance of Israel Sanchez, a professional translator who has volunteered to help us with the more difficult passages. (Thanks, Izzy!). The simpler stuff was translated by the editors.

The Puerta Maya pier is one of those businesses that has always has been noted for telling the population that they are interested in protecting the environment. So what a big surprise to discover that now they are filling in the zone around their pier with building material that they are throwing into the sea without any control at all, jeopardizing all of the ecosystem that live in the aforementioned zone with no concern whatsoever to the consequences.

In a brief phone interview with Puerto Maya's Corporation Director, Alberto Uch Mezo, shortly after the dumping was discovered and recorded on camera, he denied any knowledge of it. And he clarified further that the works on the dock are for maintenance and they are being supervised by a biologist in order that the zone's reefs, not be damaged by any waste products that might fall into the sea. But obviously, as the photos taken on May 9 show, what the executive told us is really false.

In response to this situation, Cozumel environmental activist, Guadalupe Alvarez Chulim, president of Heaven, Sea and Earth (Citymar) proclaimed that this company was commiting grave ecocide to the area with the potential to cause severe and long-lasting damage owing to the direct contamination of lime, cement gravel and petroleum-based materials to the Paradise reef system which begin only a few meters away.

"The rose colored couch is but one of many species of underwater flora and fauna that will suffer terribly as a result of this careless and selfish action," she said.

"Puerta Maya is not interested in preserving the simple beauties of the environment no matter what they say. Instead they only want to cash in severely on it," the environmentalist continued.

Alvarez Chulim went on to say that this violation is by no means the first for the Puerta Maya company which has previously been denounced when its Carnival line ships were found dumping black water in the area.

Well-known local marine biologist, Gustavo Maldonado Saldaña says the recent dumping of tons of cement rubble from the Puerta Maya pier without the protection of a membrane of any sort is an unconscionable act of negligence and the company should be held fully accountable for their illegal actions.

He said that the tons of construction waste material that they threw into this zone--including lime and petroleum-based products--will severely harm the coral reefs by hugely eliminating water clarity and blocking out the vital rays of the sun.

He indicated that also the petroleum-based materials in the mix will seriously affects the level of acidity and alkalinity of the water and will have a profound effect on fish life. He reminded that in Cozumel there exists a permanent current of south to north and this allows the out-of-control dispersion of these clouds of particles. They poison the water so that animals cannot breathe for lack of available oxygen and the reefs are filtered too much from the sun.

He said, that there are Mexican laws and standards for dealing with this kind of illicit activity and he calls upon Semarnat to take action against companies like this that are not willing to obey the law.

Maldonado Saldaña assured that this situation is an obvious example of why economic growth is criticized so strongly here on the island. "Yes to growth and cost-reducing development," he asserted.

"But definitively no to this class of works! How can you call it an "act of maintenance to dump tons of building materials off your dock!"

Besides, he continued, there now exists technology that allows the construction and maintenance of ports so that they do not impact harshly on the balance and equilibrium of nature- which is very delicate--by dumping shamelessly into the sea.

He concluded by saying that allowing such crimes against the environment to occur, infringes on the dignity of all Mexicans living in Cozumel.  He assures that the driver of the dump truck must be a person who never lived in Cozumel or learned to love it for no Cozumeleño in his right mind would ever commit such atrocity against his beloved Island and motherland.  No amount of money would ever convince a true Cozumeleno to dump all that waste so recklessly and uncaringly.

Translators Note: Now Mimi Bercerra who has been so sucessful in creating a community movement against downtown construction with her Windows to the Sea campaign has taken up this cause. Having watched this Senora in action for awhile, the translators would like to say that they believe some heads may be about to roll.

May 10
A tragic event on the 10th of May has changed the celebration of Mother's Day in Cozumel, the brutal murder of Teresa de Jesus Perez Gomez, just six years old, apparently a crime of passion, revenge by the ex girfriend of the girl's father, Belisario Perez Lopez.

The girl's parents reported her missing the night before last, at 830pm, but the girl was last seen that afternoon. The report began a large search operation headed by the agents of Seguridad Publica and the Policia Judicial, who interviewed the neighbors.

During the investigation, a woman reported that at eleven in the morning the girl was playing alone in the Repobladores park located at 90 and 3 South, and was later seen walking and talking with two women who were dressed in traditional Chiapas dress. Teresa was dressed in white shorts, an orange blouse and sandals.

Julio Cesar Ucan, a boat captain, said that at one in the afternoon he saw the girl with two women in the area of Puerto de Abrigo. The girl was crying and he approached to ask if they needed help. They told him that nothing was wrong and he didn't see them again.

Antonio Castillo, a fisherman, neighbor of the girl and a friend of Julio Cesar's found out about the disappearance and began to search the area of Puerto de Abrigo. At 320 yesterday afternoon, a girl was found dead amongst weeds and rocks in a vacant lot that surrounds Pto. de Abrigo, located in the northern hotel zone. The body had suffered severe hits to the back, head and other areas . Blood was found on the rocks and on her clothes that were found close to the body, with the exception of the sandals.

It was determined by Criminalist Pedro Uc Ordonez that the murder took place at the rocky area. The girl had been dead for 20-24 hours. A few hours after the discovery, Attorney General for the state Bello Melchor Rodriguez Cariilo stated that the girl was a victim of a crime of passion because the girl's father, 48 years old and originally from Comtan Chiapas, had had an affair with Irene Alfaro Velasco, who is in custody, charged with murder.

The motive of the murder was discovered from mis-information from Sr. Perez Lopez when the body of his daughter was found, what helped to determione this was that the supposed women from Chiapas who abducted the girl were known to the father.

The inhabitants of a domicile, located in Cozumel's downtown zone attempted to set fire to a bee hive and in the process the fire spread. Which is why firemen had to attend the place.

Around 12 in the afternoonr yesterday the main fire station received a call of help to attend a fire at a house on Calle 5 between Avenue 5 and 10. Immediately the Heroic Corp of Firemen closed off the street and deviated the passage of vehicles, in order to avoid bigger complications.

The fire began as soon as the inhabitants of the house tried to burn a bee hive that had formed about a puppet head left over from carnival. (The head was mounted on the roof of their house.) But owing to the fact that the puppet was made of fiberglass, the fire soon began to consume it and then get out of control at which time the fire department had to be called to suffocate the flames.

Translator's Note: We're a little chagrined to admit it, but these doofuses are our neighbors, living less than two blocks from us. .

Due to lack of effective vigilance on the part of the environmental authorities, the white conches of the island are running short and there are no longer so many banks of the species since.
nobody reins in the "fishermen's mafías", states president of the environmental group Sky, Earth and Sea, Guadalupe Alvarez Chulim.

The environmental leader denounced these fisherman for scooping up the white conch and selling them clandestinely to other place on the Riviera Maya.

In an interview the president of the envirnomental group, Citymar, manifested that she believes there is an organized group with people that work jointly to extract the white conch illegally and soon it will be to the point that the little offshore banks of this species will become extinct.

The Environmentalist further commented that it was the fault of the environmental authorities for failing to fulfill their mandated objectives.

" Instead of protecting, they are allowing even greater devastation of the natural resources of the island."

Futhermore, the firebrand environmentalist continued, there is a high probabilty that these same authorities are in cahoots with this conch fishing mafia group. She went on to say that the environmental authorities put on a good show of enforcement. When they detect people with two or three kilos of this species they put them in prison. But for people who are extracting 50 kilos and more of white conch, they turn a blind eye.

Lastly she said that until the Sagarpa as well as Profepa begin maintaining vigilance within the marine park--not only the conch banks but the reefs where other specieis exist--the devastation of natural resources will only continue.And she exhorts the community to denounce this situation and to look for ways to preserve the little that is left of our natural surroundings.

She insured that the fact that conch is available year round in bars, restaurants and cantinas on Cozumel shows that they have no respect for the closed season on this species which begins this month and continues until the month of November.

Our new mayor announced today that, on June 29 the president of Mexico will be stopping in to our lil' island to discuss educational initiatives in particular. More as the details unfold.

The harbor master Heriberto Santos Saline announced yesterday that this June 1, when The Day of the Sailors is celebrated, will be unlike past years when the local government and Captainship simply offer recognition to fishermen and sailors. Because this year security equipment will be delivered to them as well. Fisherman will receive free life jackets and GPS navigational devices provided they sign an official paper promising to carry this safety equipment on their boats at all times.

This is a joint project of the Fishermen's Cooperatives and the Municipal government which they hope will protect the lives of fisherman in future days.

The development of the marina has become a necessity for the island ensures the Secretary of Tourist Promotion for the State Secretary of Tourism's Office, Edgar Villajuana Berzunza. And John McCarthy, the general manager of Fonatur has presented the proposal to the governor of Quintana Roo, Félix González Canto as well as to businessmen's groups in the state.

This proposed 40 million dollar project was first presented in 2003 to then mayor Carlos Hernández Blanco, but failed to receive approval at that time.

The aforementioned marina would be located on the same and adjacent land where the current Caleta resides. Originally Fontur would supply seed money and land for the project with the municipality chipping in the licenses, etc. At a later time in December of the same year,however, it was announced that the marina project would be a joint one with local government being a partner because both the government and Fonatur own adjacent land here.

Secretary of the Tourist Promotion" Underwater Mexico", Edgar Villajuana Berzunza, expressed that this major expansion and upgrading of the marina will make it even more attractive to lovers of diving -- who couldn't choose to have a better place to do it than Cozumel. 30 percent of the vacationers say that they come to the island to dive, a number that represents 110,000 people per year who come to enjoy this sport locally. Additionally it is estimated that an average of 1000 cruise passengers per day practice snorkeling here.

He assured that the general manager of Fonatur, John Mckarty presented the proposal to the state's governor, Félix González Canto recently as well as to a variety of business groups around the state and that there is significant interest from business groups in Isla Mujeres.

He said than when the marina project was completed the property would be 60 hectares stretching between Puerta Maya and the current caleta, at about kilometer 3.5 on the southern coastal road. It would be a mixed project and the investment would be of significant benefit to the island of Cozumel. An island is planned for the center.

He added that the marina would be three or four times bigger than Puerto Abrigo and have space for many businesses serving tourists. This, combined with commercial offerings, hotels and condominiums in the zone plus some other attractions like an extraordinary aquarium should also make it attractive to tourists such as yachtists with a high purchasing power who come for long stays and give a more important status to the island.

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