Literally nothing in La Tuta’s birthplace

Borderland Beat posted by DD republished from Milenio. 

Translated by Mexico Daily News

“He was born rich like his father, who was the owner of a hacienda nearby. . . . He was always rude.”

 

House that belonged to Tuta in Arteaga

By Eriko Flores

In Arteaga, Michoacán, a municipality of some 20,000 inhabitants that can claim a notorious cartel leader as a native son, there is — literally — nothing.

It’s a four-hour drive from the state capital Morelia. The last hour is the hardest as the road winds its way up into the mountains of Tierra Caliente. On arrival, the visitor is greeted by a sign bearing the optimistic message, “Welcome to Arteaga, a municipality important for education, cattle ranching, fishing and mining.”

But it’s a lie, says Doña Juana Ríos, the operator of a modest restaurant, in an interview with Milenio. Ríos is open every day, even though customers are few.



“Life is very sad here, there is no work, the people are on their own . .

The streets are empty, more than half the residents are unemployed and in the main square the old folks play cards to avoid dying from boredom.

Everyone yearns for the prosperity that mining brought to Arteaga. Until 2012 there was an economic boom generated by foreign and domestic companies that extracted the minerals, bringing a constant flow of traffic and people. Those were times when Doña Juana served a lot of meals and José Rodríguez earned 200-300 pesos a day shining miners’ shoes.

Today the 70-year-old earns less than 150, and he doesn’t see anything changing until “all the scoundrels that accompanied La Tuta,” Arteaga-born Servando Gómez, the Caballeros Templarios leader who was arrested Friday, have been punished.

But he also offers the worrying information that another gang, Los Viagra, is rumored to be replacing the Caballeros.

The town’s thriving economy was dealt a few severe blows: the cartel insisted on the payment of “dues,” and it took over several mines. Then came the self-defense groups, followed by federal authorities. On top of that, the Environmental Secretariat shut down mining projects for operating without authorization.

The town has restructured since. The only people who receive a steady income are teachers and municipal workers. They use disposable income to add on to their homes by employing ex-mineworkers as bricklayers, and so a somewhat precarious economy stumbles along.

As for La Tuta, whose family is believed to have owned some 20 houses in Arteaga, 79-year-old Juan Flores remembers him well as a child, but the memories are not pleasant. “He was born rich like his father, who was the owner of a hacienda nearby. . . . He was always rude.”

There is some optimism in the community, for a new mayor will be elected in June. The current mayor, residents say, was under the gang leader’s control, and municipal resources flowed into his own pockets or those of La Tuta.

One candidate stands out for being honest, is the current feeling, and once elected will erase the name of Servando Gómez from the community.

If the town’s image can be cleaned up, says Don José, there will be lots of work and lots to eat.