CPTnet
5 May 2005
ARIZONA: Clang, Clang, Clang!
The early morning desert silence is broken by two pots banging together and
rapid fire Spanish. Sergio, or as he is affectionately known, "Pan Duro"
(Hard Bread) awakens the mixed crew of ten Mexicans--eight men, one woman
and an adolescent boy. The clanging also wakens the four "gabachos" (white
North Americans) comprising two "No More Deaths" volunteers (from Tucson, AZ
and St. Paul, MN) and two CPTers.
These people are staffing a camp, or "campamento" in the desert about a
dozen miles east of Agua Prieta, Mexico (the twin city of Douglas, Arizona.)
The camp supplies water, food, rest and medical care to Mexican and Central
American undocumented migrants who are leaving their homelands because they
can no longer feed their families.
The Mexican staffers are residents at CRREDA --Centro de Recuperación y
Rehabilitación de Enfermos de Drogadicción y Alcoholismo (Center for
Recuperation and Rehabilitation from Drug and Alcohol Addictions. ) The
operation of the "campamento" is part of their therapy. Sergio, a former
addict and coyote (one who guides migrants into the U.S. for a large fee) is
the leader.
A campamento on the Mexican side of the border stands a much better chance
of attracting migrants than the same type of camp that was tried for eight
weeks on the U.S. side during the summer of 2004. No Border Patrol officers
in Mexico are there to harass migrants.
Funding and some staff are supplied by "No More Deaths" from Tucson while
Mexican staff and trucks to carry the tents and supplies are provided by
CRREDA," "Healing Our Borders" and "Just Coffee"-- church related
organizations centered in Douglas and Agua Prieta.
Since September 2004, a camp like this has been held almost every month,
usually over a weekend from Thursday until Tuesday. This camp is the first
to be held east of Agua Prieta. During the first campamento in the fall of
2004, which CPT helped organize, as many as 300 migrants received water,
food and rest.
At 6:30 a.m., after a cup of coffee brewed over a wood fire, eleven staffers
--Mexican and gabachos--file off into the desert for a two hour hike,
walking toward and along the barbed wire fence that represents the U.S--
Mexico border. They look for signs: clothes and water bottles discarded in
washes
(dry creek beds.) Migrants change clothes to look more like Hispanic
Americans before crossing. The group also hikes in the area in the late
afternoon/ evening-- another likely time for migrant travel.
During one hike, participants spotted and spoke to ten migrants, but they
were ready to cross the border and were not in need of assistance. On
another hike about thirty migrants were received water and food.
Summarizing his campamento experience, CPTer Murray Lumley said, "I have
really enjoyed spending time at this campamento with the CRREDA folks. They
are dedicated, hard working and great fun to be with."
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