A Wetback in Reverse

by Frederick Martin-Del-Campo

  In Guadalajara, Mexico’s second biggest city and one of my next stops, the civic authorities were being harassed for having delayed quarantine measures. They were worried about other illnesses, but they eventually sealed down their hotels where a few sickened tourists had been lingering about and causing much grief. No less than a dozen police officers wearing masks showed up at my hotel, and had guarded it since the Sunday before, despite the fact that everyone within ear-shot was obviously healthy. Other guests just turned up their noses to the inexpressive officers, and casually sauntered on passed them to go about their social pursuits, or to alleviate the noxious boredom affecting everybody around. I’d asked another guest, a mature man who was on a business trip and had just arrived from the Orient, what he thought: “It’s highly inconvenient ... Highly inconvenient.” He said. “That’s what’s driving people crazy, because it knocked us over with the shock of it all. And now a frustration is setting in that’s driving me crazy!”

  After following this situation for months, I still could not make heads or tails of it, and the scientists in charge of informing the public were none the more clear on the matter. All that they kept pounding our ears with was that the virus had the potential to mutate into something really deadly. Whoop Dee FREAKING Dee! “Influenza is unpredictable,” they kept telling the interviewers who looked them over like they were telling fibs, or perpetuating the government’s “red herring” since more bad economic news was in the offing. “There are so many questions to be asked, but few answers to look forward to. This is a virus we’d never examined before. There’s a great deal we cannot understand about the human factor in relation to the virus.”

  For the present, the greatest obstacle proved to be a breakdown of information within Mexico, and people would rather trust the garbage removal workers than the expert doctors. Health sleuths tried to piece together the epidemiological puzzle which explained where the transmission began, and what sort of people were dying the fastest. Sadly, as long as they were aboriginal folk the White and Mestizo majority did not really care. It was soon revealed that indeed three of the dead were Amerindian children: a 9-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl. Five of the dead were older than 60. The other ten were between 21 and 39, in spite of their stronger immune symptoms, but it was more of the same. Details were emerging slowly, but they also attempted to uncover the way it was attacking its victims with the severe sickness. In any case, it was still too much ado about nothing.

  It was obvious to me, as to any rational person, that this was a still newer strain of the flu, and because we humans haven’t developed an immunity to it, the virus has more potential to wreak havoc with our health. Unlike the other towns I had passed though, this thing was coming from different suburbs in a metropolis of 20 million, and there were no similarities linking the medical backgrounds of the infected. If it did spread further, there would truly be an infection of epic proportions. Frankly, in my mind the realization of this possibility just made me laugh like the proverbial fool who doesn’t know just how close he stands to the edge of his own damnation. One of the explanations for the deaths was that perhaps the destitute Indians had sought treatment too late ~ falling ill about seven days before seeking medical help. Another reason being passed around was that the authorities were playing around with the imminent pandemic alert, but then would withdraw the alert at the last moment, giving the poorest citizens a false sense of comfort, and causing them to delay action before it was too late.

  From the state of Durango came news that agriculture big-wigs had decreed that more than two hundred porkers should be quarantined after being infected by a field laborer who had recently returned from Mexico. Freaking fantastic! That is all I needed to make my laughter fatal to my own sense of balance ~ a human was responsible for having infected the pigs!

  They would go on assuring the natives that porcine viruses were common among swine, and no one should give up their barbecues, ham tortas or taco-fests as long as people maintained sanitary conditions (fat chance), and so long as the situation was handled with care by them. The pigs were all recuperating nicely. Still, people will be people, and out of sheer anxiety some farmers and townsfolk formed posses, along with some anarchists in disguise, to help the police. They proceeded then to fire shots in the air and tear gas at pig owners who stoned them in an attempt to prevent government workers from slaughtering their animals as a way of containing the potential spread thereof once the first documented case of the H1N1 human flu was passed to another species. A Durango security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the news-hounds and their television jackals, said twenty bystanders, mostly Tarahumara Indians, had been injured outside of the Pancho Villa slum. In Durango, the capital of the state of Durango, officials killed wild boars at their zoo because of swine flu fears, even though the veterinarians argued that the virus could not be transmitted by pigs. So, what the Hell is one to do?

  All of this was just so distracting that I nearly forgot about my present purpose: finding out what Fulgencio San Roman, or Uncle Rafael for that matter, had to do with my quest to find the origin of my existence. Nevertheless, I was determined, and I would not end the quest come Hell or more pig flu outbreaks.

  WAITING AROUND FOR

  SOMETHING NICE TO HAPPEN

  As long as I was in the old capital, and Mexican officials had lowered their flu alert level, I thought to go about exploring like I had intended in the first place. On the Monday following the big alert, I lived it up at the cafes’, museums and libraries which had reopened, but which now offered disinfecting gel and facial masks gratis to their patrons. Elsewhere in Mexico it wasn’t so simple, and some towns actually raised their epidemic alert to the highest level. As I sipped my delicious Chinese style coffee in one of the more pleasant cafes’ on the Alameda, all that I could think was, “Tsk, tsk, those poor unfortunate fools ... and, I wonder, what the Hell is Fulgencio doing right now? Does he even know that his old behind-the-cameras comrade had passed away? Tsk and more tsk!

  It wasn’t all together so pleasant since the Mexican officials had declared the epidemic to be waning because the five-day long closure of non-essential businesses, that was decreed to halt the spread of the virus, was called off. Hereon, a lot more noise and traffic was in evidence. Students were kept off the streets until Government officials finished inspecting schools before decreeing that it was safe enough for them to return to class. It was no skin off of my back since the youngsters of the flirting age in Mexico City left me cold. It is a fact that the pandemic did not necessarily mean the illness was deadly. The past two pandemics in 1957 and 1968 had been relatively mild. A pandemic may refer to a disease’s geographic extent rather than its severity, but that couldn’t concern Mexico all that much. Other countries weren’t exactly chivalrous about the whole thing, and were all too happy to blame Mexicans for the disease’s spread. And, with the un-measured scope of the pandemic, several nations, namely China, had taken urgent measures against incoming Mexicans or those who had traveled to Mexico as of late.

  President Calderon’ went on the news to complain: “I think it’s unfair that because we have been honest and transparent with the world, some countries and places are taking repressive and discriminatory measures because of ignorance and disinformation.” ... which goes to show how ticked off he was over the whole thing, and went on to say: “There are always people who are seizing on this pretext to assault Mexicans, even if just verbally.”

  He didn’t mention any countries or name any names, but everyone of us knew to what country and persons he was referring!

  The Health Ministry also decried Argentina, Peru and Cuba for discouraging flights to Mexico, and said Argentina, of all the audacity, was sending a plane to Mexico on Monday just to pick up any of their lingering citizens who wanted to leave Mexico.

  Well, if that ain’t a kick in the proverbial balls!

  One of the worst slights to be felt
was the revelation that most of the victims had been females: 2 to 1 male. Malcontents were already complaining that women get poorer medical assistance throughout Mexico because of the macho manipulated culture ~ all of which is bullshit. It so happened most of the gynecological victims had jobs or were house-fraus who may have picked up the cooties from their own children, who themselves contracted the illness from each other. Most were ignorant, and with no means to fight the illness in their own homes, never mind seek care in a hospital. Curiously though, it was noted that there were no deaths among health care workers treating pig flu patients ~ a clue that the virus was not as virulent as the fraidy-cats had feared.

  All this brings me to discharge all of the simmering emotions I had been repressing since I got trapped within the borders of this glorious prison called Mexico.

  I’ve traveled through many places around this country, and have stopped at a number of them. ~ East, West, North, and heading South. Almost every stop, and many along the grand highway of disillusion, have their Points of View.

  Hitherto embarking on this journey, I had always carried my own, but it would serve me well to handle the stress from now on. Starting with this Federal District sojourn, whenever a few things make sense and trigger my mind, from time to time, I’m going to sort out the events of each day and make sure I understand what is going on before I go insane. Whether anyone agrees with me, it is of no consequence. Absorbing the local color is not enough to inspire me.

  Accordingly, in the mess that Mexicans have made of this epidemic, with the help of most willing countries, other Mexicans and well-wishers had sent fully staffed, fully operational medical units, and were up and operating on infected people within hours of setting up. Other countries from the other side of the world got here first and were very forth-coming, but America was short and slow in coming to her neighbor’s aid.

  America is just a few hundred miles away, and they couldn’t get things straightened out if their own health depended on it, and it did. There is no one in charge, so supplies and vaccinations or other medical equipment remained sitting in warehouses everywhere. It wasn’t Mexico’s fault for sure. It was just Reality, that’s all. The pandemic was transformed by responsible politicians into a comedy of errors at which everybody forgot to laugh. The latter were too busy figuring out the cost of containing the illness, and cringed at the thought that it would take away money from their political sacred cows. Too many nitwits were calling the shots, and no one really took charge, not even such a lauded statesman like President Calderon’, and too many of said nitwits refused to give up their rights, or vaccinations, for the public good. Had not the nastiness of nature shown us all that our illusions needed to be discarded, and we needed to take care of the more important matters in life rather than our illusion of power?

  There were groups that seemed to know what they were doing all along. They had no problem controlling the unruly masses and taking charge. Too many others were there jockeying for the best news-bytes, going by some script, worrying about looking bad in front of their bosses while more cases were being reported. It did not bother them that the disease was escalating by the minutes, hunger for some drastic action escalated the potential for anarchy, and the potential for complete social disorder and violence was imminent. The entire country could have erupted into anarchy, and still no one cared. This very intransigence is what saved this society from turning on itself. So, much as I hate to admit it, maybe this national contempt I’ve been writing about turned out to be a blessing for Mexico after all. Nonetheless, pomposity and sloth ruled the day, and the rest of us were left to decide whether this day or the next would be a good one in which to die.

  This is what’s happening in Mexico.

  And, that is also what was happening and will happen…

  President Calderon’ vowed to give his people all the necessary resources, which include money, with which to fight the disease. The first of what will certainly be many handouts to cronies and other business contacts will determine the failure of this containment campaign ~ it is like giving a dying drunkard a ton of money and gently informing him that it’s for his rehabilitation, accompanied by a slight slap on the wrist that he’d better wise up, but, of course, he goes out to buy a warehouse full of Tequila.

  What a waste! What a waste!

  Oh, I’m not whining because I am cold and heartless. I gave my fair share to The American Red Cross disaster relief fund; they are the only organization I would trust with giving money to do the right thing for the sake of the public good. My core convictions have little to do with politics or social philosophies, or with cynicism or contempt. It is simply reality with which I am concerned.

  But in all this chaos of grief and death, troublemakers have managed to make things worse by going about their business like they always have ~ stealing, rioting, and raking Hell for the benefit of journalistic hell-raisers. Even where the epidemic had touched most people, such troublemakers intended on selling stolen food on the black market to their own people, thus profiting from the death and pestilence.

  As evidenced, if watching, reading, or even slightly aware of Mexico’s inability to stem the tide of illegal emigration and curb the activities of narco-traffickers over the past decade or more, the millions of dollars in aid given to Mexico has accomplished little but to make a few unscrupulous Mexicans so much the wealthier.

  I pray that a few people observe this illuminating example that is unfolding, and they begin to adjust their priorities. Most Mexicans will go on begging for money, though, and billions upon billions of pesos will go on being misspent, unaccounted for, or flat-out stolen. That’s just how things are in Mexico.

  All of that money has been wasted by the corruption, greed, and vileness within people, so people are to blame for the sort of leadership they trust to handle their affairs. Mexican government people are in a position to slice their “piece of the patrimonial pie” without, and sometimes by, ever getting caught in the massive confusion and disarray. And the miserable folks in desperate need? They will keep on shaking their heads, insisting they don’t give a damn, going without, and electing the same old crooks because there are none better to take their place. For tens of millions, even in a land as rich as Mexico, there is no clean water, no respectable schools, no decent system to assist in their needs, no real government that gives a damn ~ but many will assuredly be better off before the last charitable donation is counted. And the hundreds of millions in aid will line the pockets of many ungrateful bureaucrats and cynical legislators. But, then again, what would the rhythm of life be here in Mexico without all of that corruption? It’s like asking what would Mexican food be like without chilies?

  It is a sorry truth that so many drug-traffickers, corrupt officials, and other crime-mongers have profited in Mexico without ever having helped the people, or provided basic services. Everyone was expected to ignore the reality and allow the massive corruption to continue unabated, and the few continue to profit exorbitantly from the grief, despair, loss and pain, and death of their fellow Mexicans.

  The Red Cross and Health Ministry bureaucrats had medical assistants in various health-care centers, most with limited supplies, and some had the effrontery to charge the hapless and ignorant for essentially “free” services.. The Health Ministry brought a truck around in Mexico city and ordered all the medics and nurses to leave because of a rumor of a coming labor riot; there has been a lot of labor unrest since I got here, and coming mostly from grade-school teachers. Mexico, needless to say, is rife with rumors. On a Thursday night, a rumor began that an early hurricane season was coming and there was mass panic brewing within the quiet of Mexican homes. I tried to imagine myself in such a state at this time. But, to the point, a field care center for the Pig Flu, with over 25 critically infected street-bums, was abandoned by the Health Ministry workers.

  They just packed up, picked up, and pecked at most of the supplies before leaving. Why? Because the Ministry spokespeople said they wer
e not secure there.

  So what happened? Some dedicated altruists were single-handily taking care of these people with hardly any supplies. And, fortunately for all concerned, there had been no security threat. Some dedicated people, a few religious volunteers and students, have been on their own with few supplies to take care of these people while the government had just bailed out. I was frankly stunned upon learning of their cowardice and disaffection. You could see it on their bureaucratic faces. Upon reflection, I could believe what these people and their disinterested medics and nurses had done. No one was taking control, and not much was getting done, which is inexcusable. The Mexican Government, minus a few devoted and loyal patriots, is a blight upon the history of this nation. They fool everyone, and they seem proactive on the surface, but it is incontrovertibly, irrefutably, and it seems irrevocably riddled with waste and corruption. It is, in my objective estimation, a rotting boil on the back of the humiliated Mexicans. And who is to blame? It’s a rhetorical question. Ever since I could remember, everyone I’ve spoken to regarding the future of Mexico complained that their own elected government was counterproductive to aid, progress, or peace. When things truly get rough, when they are truly required and should help, where are they? They cringe in sinful shame, and giggle away the troubles of the nation till someone discovers them, and then it’s off to replacing them with other incompetents. And, the county not only gets worse and worse, but the corrupt officials, along with their mafioso supporters, go on increasing their power and wealth, more and more. And, Mexico goes on suffering, standing against the winds of change with resignation and disillusion.