Tenacatita 'agreement' in the works; guards won't let Semarnat in

Villalobos

TENACATITA, Jalisco, Mexico - Another attempt at forming an agreement between the ejido of Tenacatita and the government over access to Tenacatita Beach is in process - possibly to try to get some public access for thousands of Mexican vacationers during Semana Santa.

Diputado David Hernandez - who is featured in the video below using his truck to tear down the gates put up by Jose Villalobos  - was supposed to present a proposed agreement to the ejido a few days ago, but it wasn't ready to be discussed, according to Dobie, who lives in Rebalsito.



Villalobos seized the Tenacatita Beach (and some portions of the oceanfront) August 4, 2010 with a force of 200 police. Nearly 800 people were evicted forcibly from the land. Some were arrested in the process and much rough treatment by police was reported.

Since then, virtually all of the buildings and palapas along the bayside and ocean have been bulldozed. Guards at the single road access point allow only limited - and arbitrary - access to the empty beach. Anyone attempting to enter the beach has to surrender identification and cannot take alcohol.

Photos are also forbidden. About 20 guards are currently patrolling the beach area.

Villalobos claims that he owns 42 hectares of land along the beach and ocean and that the persons evicted were all squatters. In addition to the evicted Mexican property owners - many of whom hold federal titles to their land - Americans, Canadians and Germans were also evicted from their ocean side properties. Numerous lawsuits are in process against Villalobos in Guadalajara.

At the last ejido meeting, a letter was read from SEMARNAT (the environmental agency). Representatives of Semarnat went to the Tenacatita gates, where the armed guards bar entrance to the beach. SEMARNAT was there to serve Villalobos with legal papers indicating he was being fined for cutting mangroves illegally.

The guards would not let SEMARNAT staff in to serve him, or representatives of his company, Rodenas with the legal documents

Dobie also said that a reporter from a magazine called PODER was in town, interviewing people.

The reporter also interviewed Villalobos for two hours in Guadalajara. Her story is expected to come out in a future PODER edition.

PODER's target audience is executives of business firms whose salaries are in excess of $250,000 (USD).

LINK TO PODER:
PODER magazine

Fundraiser for displaced Tenacatita residents April 9 - in Oregon

DEADWOOD, Oregon, USA - A fundraiser for the people of Tenacatita - many of whom were forced from their homes at gunpoint August 4, 2010 - is set for Saturday, April 9 here in the northwest.

The fundraiser is going to be held at the Deadwood Community Center and will have a dinner, entertainment and a raffle.

Rogers

Felisa Rogers, managing editor of The People's Guide to Mexico, (LINK TO GUIDE) says that the event is expected to draw people from as far as California and Seattle.

"We are having a dinner (taco bar) and show (with an excellent band, The Crow Quill Night Owls) on April 9. We'll also have a raffle of donated items, t-shirts for sale, and a costume competition," she said.

Rogers has written about the Tenacatita situation on her blog, Winterpalace, also. LINK: Winterpalace by Felisa Rogers.

Here is the flier circulating to promote the event:

The land in Tenacatita was taken over August 4, 2010 by wealthy Guadalajara developer Jose Villalobos who has announced he has plans to build a luxury hotel and golf course on his claimed 42 hectares along the bay and oceanfront.

He claims he purchased the land 20 years ago and that the people who were evicted were squatters.

Many of the people who were evicted have filed lawsuits in Mexican courts to regain their lands.

Many of these same people - including Americans, Canadians, Germans as well as Mexicans - hold federal titles signed by former Mexican President Vincente Fox or incumbent President Felipe Calderon.

As the court cases slowly wind their way through the system. many of the people who have filed the lawsuits fear that when Felipe Calderon leaves office at the end of his term, he might be replaced by Emilio Gonzalez Marquez, currently the governor of Jalisco.

Marquez has steadfastly refused to intervene - even though Jalisco state police were involved in the evictions and are themselves the subject of many claims of brutality by the people forced out of their homes.

Marquez is closely linked to Villalobos also because Villalobos (the former president of the Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce) is heading up the Pan-American Games efforts in Guadalajara. The games begin in October.

The governor (left) with Villalobos

 
 

Fundraising, legal battle(s) continue over Tenacatita takeover

TENACATITA, Jalisco, Mexico - Efforts to raise money - to help the people evicted from Tenacatita August 4, 2010 - are continuing. As many as 800 people, including many families, were evicted by armed men operating under the direction of developer Jose Villalobos of Guadalajara who has said in numerous printed accounts that he plans to build a luxury hotel and golf course on 42 hectares of land there.

In addition to the funding raising, numerous court cases in Guadalajara are continuing also.

Gate on state highway, barring access to beach

A motion by Villalobos to deny any court hearings on his armed seizure of the Tenacatita Beach (and oceanfront) was turned back in the last few weeks. Guadalajara courts are likely to begin hearing arguments for  'amparos,' in each case.

Because Mexican law does not allow for a class action lawsuit, each of the people whose property was seized have had to file individual lawsuits.

And each suit will need to proceed on its own merits. Witnesses for the property owners have been alerted that they may be testifying.

Adding to the slowness of the process is that legal documents are traveling from La Huerta to lawyers in Guadalajara via the Mexican snail mail system.

Villalobos claims that he bought the land more than 20 years ago and that the people evicted were squatters on his land. Many of those alleged squatters hold federal titles signed by former Mexican President Vincente Fox or current President, Felipe Calderon. And among that group are numerous Americans, Canadians and Europeans who purchased the titled land and in some cases, had built homes.

Jose Villalobos

In one case, a Canadian couple built a small RV park.

Virtually all of those buildings - as well as the restaurants and palapas that dotted the Tenacatita Beach - have been bulldozed by Villalobos. Guards patrol the beach, challenging people who arrive by boat.

A gate was constructed across the state highway to deny access to the beach. Some people have reported that they are allowed through, but only after surrending identification and leaving their cameras.

While the court cases continue, efforts to raise funds to help the Mexican families displaced continue. Many of the people are living in nearby Rebalsito.

Shirts for sale at the La Manzanilla cup sailboat race

The La Manzanilla message board has carried numerous messages about how to help the displaced people. This one from Dobie of Rebalsito tells where to donate: LINK: Donating to Tenacatita

At the same time, t-shirts are being sold to raise money - as well as awareness about the seizure of the titled land and eviction of the residents.

The shirts are usually available for sale in the morning Friday market in the jardin in La Manzanilla.