News from Tenacatita

I received this from some people I know who wish to remain anonymous and wanted to pass it on as I know we are all interested. Also, see the accompanying pic of the new palapas.

Hola Amigos,

Yesterday a friend and I went out to Tenacatita, more just to see what it actually looks like. There is a real roadblock made up of two fences about 3-4 meters apart. Reminded me of something like Checkpoint Charlie. Big signs "Propiedad Privada", but the guards 6 or 8 of them, were all Estetales, State Police. One of them had his hand in a bag on his stomach the whole time. My friend was able to persuade them that we didn't expect food or banos or services of any sort, just wanted to see the beach. ....they let us in!!

ALL the restaurants are gone. Leveled. Only things left standing are the yellow hotel just off the beach, the big pink hotel down a ways and the newer hotel/rest. at the end under the big hill dividing this beach from the camper beach on the other side. On top of that high point was another armed observation station manned by 2 more police. They had their glasses on us and probably a rifle. Around, here and there we saw more State Police and their trucks.

What is being built are cement pads with new palapas over them. Looks like they might be snack bars or some such. There were 3-4 of those either done or under construction. I also saw, at the same end of the beach, a larger construction underway. Large tall walls....new hotel? Future maintenance sheds? No se.

It was very sad for us. So many wonderful memories are connected with that place, and now it is gone. Stopped in Rebalsito....boy, are they hurting. Storekeeper and wife said they had no business at all. The man indicated that they were, "Getting ready"....oh, boy. Nobody's giving up, yet.

How very sad . . thank you for updating us, Speedy. See you soon.

Those palapas existed before. The beach palapas that were in front of them have been removed.

Great photo of 'old' Tenacatita beach.

It would be great to have one of the beach today, from the same vantage point, for comparison.

"God I hope this gets posted.............. " [69.73.170.179]

Maybe The Zaps will take another flight [www.tomzap.com]

There is some concern that visitors are having ID info copied so that later it can be said that the current owner has allowed the beach to be used by the public -- as is required by law. Cato's has set up and is serving in La Manz; I think Fiesta Mexicana too, though I haven't been there.

Five of us had excellent meals yesterday at Cato's. Talked to Chely, and she is opening a place in La Manz, too.

Amigos de Tenacatita,

As many of you know, the Jalisco state government, along with the Rodenas corporation violently grabbed Tenacatita this past August 4th ousting villagers, land owners, and tourists from their restaurants, homes, and palapas and blocking the federal highway that leads to Tenacatita. For months we have waited patiently for a resolution to this blatant injustice where a powerful businessman committed crimes against the townspeople of Rebalsito and was able to rob every Mexican of his constitutional rights by not letting people pass freely through a federal road and by not letting them land on the beach in a clear violation of Mexican constitutional law.

I am writing to invite you to a peaceful picnic at Tenacatita (fully supported by Rebalsito's town leaders) this December 27 at 9 AM starting from the town of Rebalsito. We will be entering Tenacatita through a back way and will be ferrying the public across a narrow stretch of the lagoon in undisputed territory and then march up the beach for a final gathering up by the restaurants. If the beach is open by then we will march up the road. People wishing to arrive by sea can join us. Foreigners who are a little apprehensive can show support by being in the bay with their boats.
All levels of the government are aware of the problem and yet gross civil rights violations are allowed to continue. They promised that they would open the beach by Christmas to allow the villagers to be able to sell some things on the beach to help alleviate the stranglehold poverty now has on this village. The concession of opening the beach, even if it did happen, is more of a slap in the face than anything else since there will be no camping, people will only be able to sell things out of carts, and there is no infrastructure like bathrooms now that they have leveled them with heavy machinery. I can't imagine anyone will want to come from very far if you can only be there during the day. Useless if you are from Guadalajara. This move is just propaganda to say it is open. The conditions cripple any possible step forward.
On another front, ecological and cultural problems at the beach are intensifying. We have received credible reports of mass baby turtle deaths and while Rodenas is probably not responsible for causing them directly, they are not permitting the usual people who protect these hatcheries every year to do their job. Americans visiting Rebalsito also discovered a second ecological tragedy and were able to take photographs. They described a dead cow with over thirty dead vultures around it on the road where the old airport was. It isn't clear if the guards shot these animals or if they poisoned them but the massacre of dozens of these important animals is an ominous sign of the Rodenas style of wildlife management. The locals would never hurt these birds because they have no food value and because they understand that the removal of carrion is critical for the towns' health. 

Another dramatic development is that after all of Villalobos' talk about how the restaurants were polluting the region, his own guards are going to the bathroom outside after managing the hotel's septic tank system proved too challenging for them. 

On the cultural front. The people of Rebalsito set off a couple of days ago on their annual march with the Virgin Mary which starts at the church of Rebalsito and ends at the beach for the important blessings that she bestows upon the vessels and people. This year she got to the gate flanked by a peaceful group that included many children. The procession was stopped at the gate and not allowed to enter in a move that is low even for Villalobos.
Meanwhile in Rebalsito, a dedicated team of foreigners with Tenacatita in their hearts is continuing to work with the locals to provide staple food supplies to those most affected by the beach closure. We are inviting the general public to peacefully assemble in Rebalsito on December 27 by 9 AM. I know that foreigners are a little apprehensive about these sorts of things but this is really important and it could be your rights that someone chooses to take next. If you don't want to land fine but please join us in your boat or donate to the cause. If the beach is opened, we would all meet at 9 AM in Rebalsito anyway and march down the road to Tenacatita. We have to make sure that Tenacatita stays in the national spotlight. I will be arriving in the area next week and will be working on bringing the voices of the people to the media in English and Spanish and will be pushing this important issue into the United States media.
I hope you will forward this invitation to as many people as you can and that you will join our group here:
[cyberpueblo.com]
Please participate. I know we can reverse this injustice, we just need your help. I will be sending another letter as the date gets closer with more details.

Paz y bien,
Juan Frost
Cyberpueblo.com

Might I suggest that it is NOT prudent for foreigners to participate in such activities that might easily be construed to be "political involvement" in a situation that might be highly volitile.

Photos from Tenacatita taken yesterday, Dec. 23, 10.
[cyberpueblo.com]

Hi Mike
I would be interested in the story that goes along with those photos.

Howard Platt, Manzanillo
hplattbc@gmail.com

Hi, Howard.

I discovered them at [cyberpueblo.com] through the link provided by 'Tenacatita-1' in the post, above.

As you know, I'm not a very good Spanish reader (or speaker for that matter!) but ran across them from an article there.

Hey, Howard, FELIZ NAVIDAD. Hope to see you again in the new year when you get back 'home'. Don't freeze your butt off!

Best regards,


Mike

Thanks Mike, and to you and all Tomzappers, best of the season.

I was at Swan Lake in Victoria today. I think my butt had already fallen off and this guys was saying "Oh that water looks COLD!"



Howard Platt, Manzanillo
hplattbc@gmail.com

RE: " "Oh that water looks COLD!" "

BuTt, Howard, I'm laying odds that he jumps in.

After all, isn't THAT what he was born bred AND reared to do?



PEACE FROM BARRA de NAVIDAD

II keep hearing that Tentiticita is open again to the general public, and that the guards/police are not stopping people. Is this true, or another rumour? Please private mail a reply if you know, a I mostly watch the Melaque tomzap pages.

Open from 9-6. No restaurants, bathrooms or booze allowed

Sparks Blog - Melaque Blog - Costalegre

Are the guards still there?

On Jan 9 when we visited the guards were still there. We were instructed to drive into that chain-link fence box which blocks the beach road, after which the gates were closed and we were instructed to exit our vehicle. We were watched by a shot-gun toting guard while it was searched . They kept the license of our driver and instructed we could enter and drive to the beach but must park only on the one paved area. Which meant that to reach that oft-said best snorkeling spot at the North-end of the beach would require about a 1/4 mile walk. Also no photography is permitted except cameras can be pointed sea-ward. There was at least one other armed guard stationed at the beach -- we saw only two or three other groups of beach-goers. We only stayed a few minutes, our driver's license was returned on our exit.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2011 07:06PM by manzanillo2011.