The nightmare for residents of Rosarito began when former governor of Baja California, Alejandro Gonzáles Alcocer appeared on the scene as legal representative for Moreno y Compañía y Sucesores (hereafter referred to as “Moreno and Company”). Alcocer claimed that Moreno and Company were the rightful owners of about 47,000 acres of property in Rosarito, based on titles awarded under the government of Porfirio Díaz. Ignoring the fact that said titles were revoked in 1917 with a clarification that the lands still belonged to their previous owners, he set about to strip the rightful owners of their property.

Eventually the titles claimed by Moreno and Company were proven invalid in court, there being no originals in existence in the national archives. The 13 December 2005 issue of “El Mexicano” declared the residents of Playas de Rosarito no longer had anything to worry about with regards to the litigation -- they had been proven the rightful owners of their properties. Little did they know what was about to happen next. The issue would blow up in various directions during the year 2006.

Continuing their claim on the property, based on the same title that had just been rejected in court, Moreno and Company demanded up to 3 million pesos from each resident on the properties they claimed, or else they would be stripped of their land and homes. Meanwhile, the state government suddenly claimed that the residents owed them an excessive capital gains tax, up to 53 million pesos in some cases, or else they would lose their land. This would be a surefire way to take over the lands, as many of the residents were farmers who had less than 10,000 pesos (about a thousand dollars) in savings. A group of residents who called themselves “Frente Común de Defensa de la Tierra” stood up for themselves, accusing the state government of organized delinquency, falsification of documents, and abuse of power, and asking that official investigations be made into several current and former government officials.

Elected officials of state and local governments, worried about the publicity, tried to avoid publicly expressing favor for either side of the dispute. The Municipal President of Rosarito claimed to know nothing of the dispute, but said he offers his “moral support.”

Meanwhile, another situation arose. Letters were sent to residents of “Terrazas del Mar” by Unicrecope (Unión de Crédito de la Pequeña Empresa e Industria de Querétaro, as well as a company called Lagza (Lagos y Zazueta), claiming that there existed a mortgage on their properties. Unicrecope claimed that due to the mortgage, residents owed one Casta Navarraro, true owner of the land, 45 million dollars if they wished to retain their homes. Lagza claimed the mortgage was legitimate, but the due amount was not so exorbitant. Antonio Macías Garay, alcalde of Playas de Rosarito, claimed that residents had nothing to worry about: Fobraproa (Fondo Bancario de Protección al Ahorro) had long ago absorbed the debt in question, and Unicrecope was illegally trying to charge it a second time.

This brings us to the present situation in Rosarito (and Tijuana and Ensenada, where much land is also in question under the same auspices). Frente Común has expressed hope that with the help of the Sixth District Court, at least part of the nightmare will be over, but residents still have to battle with the state government over the sudden imposition of exorbitant taxes. The disposition of thousands of homeowners about to lose their property puts a strain on the sociopolitical climate of Baja California. The reaction of these people, if they ultimately lose their land, and the effect it may have on the United States, is hard to predict.

Sources

Dávalos, Alfredo. “Denuncian por despojo a Alejandro Gonzáles.” La Prensa, 8 Apr 2006, 9.

Ibarra Gonzales, José Israel. “Alarma entre dueños de ‘Terrazas del Mar.’” El Mexicano, 17 Nov 2006, 14A.

Ibarra, José Israel. “Corredor 2000, una maldición.” El Mexicano, 26 Feb 2007, 1A.

Pringle, Alfonso. “Minimiza Eldoruy conflicto agrario.” El Mexicano, 9 Dec 2005, 2A.

Uribe, Manuel. “Moreno y Compañía llegará a ‘arreglos’ No se trata de crear un problema social: González Alcocer.” ECOS de Rosarito, 3 Aug 2005, <http://ecosderosarito.com/history/57/1_982.html>.