LOST IN TRANSLATION

There is a new “settlement” growing not too far from our plant nursery. In the last two months about 200 squatters have moved in; thrown up a shanty-town that makes our kids play-houses look like palaces. Any found or, borrowed without asking, material is stuck together to construct a habitat. Some of the homes are so inventive they make die-hard recyclers look like polluters. All these folks are moving from the mainland hoping to catch the wave of growth and for the moment zero unemployment here. The thing is, where they are planting themselves is smack-dap in the middle of an arroyo; a dry river bed that in an instant during our rains can flood, pushing everything in it’s path out to sea.

When I first heard about this stupidity my reaction was to think these poor people are misguided and unaware of the harm they are putting themselves into. Also I became indignant that the government was not making them move. After all, it’s on Federal zoned property and there are no services; water, electricity and yep no bathrooms. Not to mention the added burden put on our already stressed Civil Protection group who is in charge of getting everyone in need of shelter to a safe place during our hurricanes and floods. So why are these squatters not being told to move, vamos, get the heck out of there?


Some more informed local friends set me straight. “It’s political, Cristina” they say with a look that tells me they accept this as a way of life or feel helpless to do anything, so why think about it. These newcomers know exactly what they’re doing. Here’s how it goes. We have a municipal election coming up; a politician is approached with “señor I would vote for you, but I have no place to live.” They are then directed to set up house wherever they can, Federal property being the easiest because a blind-eye will be turned. For some reason, who knows why, if a rain comes and these settlers need to be moved it becomes the responsibility of the town to relocate them to somewhere safe to inhabit.

So if I’m understanding the system, you set up house in an uninhabitable “free place,” then you get evacuated during a natural disaster and put into a safer “free” place financed by the municipality. And, hopefully you show up to vote for the guy who helped you figure this all out.

¿Comprende? No? Me neither.

By the way, don’t you like the plastic coke bottles adorning the fence. I would never have thought of that for decoration. Very inventive. (click on the photo if you want a closer look, you never know what ideas you could copy)