JALISCO GOVERNMENT WORKING TO KEEP MIGRANTS HOME BY BOOSTING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUADALAJARA 000093 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/MEX E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV SMIG ELAB MX XM SUBJECT: JALISCO GOVERNMENT WORKING TO KEEP MIGRANTS HOME BY BOOSTING LOCAL ECONOMY REF: A. A. 07 GUADALAJARA 365 ¶B. B. 07 GUADALAJARA 379 GUADALAJAR 00000093 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary: Since taking office in 2007, Jalisco Governor Emilio Gonzalez Marquez has focused on boosting Jalisco's economy and improving the lives of Jalisco natives living at home and abroad. In line with these efforts, Gonzalez Marquez formed an office dedicated to working with migrant communities in the United States and overseeing the government coordinated remittance programs (Ref A). The Jalisco government is hoping, through remittance-funded social projects that improve communities and offer long-term employment, more Jalisco natives will stay in Mexico and some of those abroad will return home, preferably with money to invest. Gonzalez Marquez participated in a December 2007 event celebrating the "Absent Jalisco Emigrant" which highlighted the 2007 success of $23 million USD in state remittance projects. The Jalisco state government also plans to open offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle as part of its effort to increase coordination with the largest Jalisco migrant communities in the United States. End Summary. -------------- -------------- -------------- Bring Our Migrants Home, Keep Them Home -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶2. The Jalisco government continues to vocalize their mantra that they are working hard to keep migrants from going to the United States and trying to create incentives for the 4 million Jalisco natives in the United States to return home. In 2007, Jalisco Governor Emilio Gonzalez Marquez formed the Oficina de Atencion al Jalisciense en el Exterior (Office of Attention to Jalisco natives living abroad). The purpose of this office is to improve the quality of life of Jalisco natives both abroad and at home. The Jalisco government has turned its focus to increased investment in social projects (called Proyectos Productivos) that foster better long-term living conditions in Mexico (Ref A). Their reasoning for this is that infrastructure projects do not provide sustainable employment and people tend to spend remittances from U.S.-based family members rather quickly. The Jalisco government is hoping to amass $50 million USD to support these social projects ($8 million coming directly from the state government). -------------- -------------- -------------- 9th Annual Day of "Absent Jalisco Emigrant" Celebrated -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. In December 2007, Degollado, Jalisco hosted the celebration of the 9th annual day of the absent Jalisco emigrant. Degollado is a small, rural town known for its pig and cattle farms as well as stone carving artisan work. These celebrations typically take place across rural Jalisco when U.S. immigrants return home to celebrate the holidays with their families left behind in Mexico. The day started with a meeting between municipal presidents and migratory club presidents visiting from the United States. Jalisco government officials discussed how to form a migratory club, how to organize remittance donations through the appropriate tax authorities, and how local governments have used remittance project funds. The afternoon was filled with a celebratory mass, traditional meal, mariachi music, and folkloric dancing. Governor Emilio Gonzalez Marquez arrived to celebrate the afternoon cultural events located in a brand new community center built with Tres Por Uno remittance program funds (Ref A). ¶4. During this event, various U.S.-based Jalisco migratory club leaders spoke to Conoff about recent migrant trends. The leaders of the over 200 Jalisco migratory clubs are generally long-standing U.S. Permanent Residents or Citizens. The leaders confirmed that arriving U.S. immigrants are increasingly female, more educated, and with urban origins (Ref B). Since so many young Jalisco males are in the United States, many single women are heading north in search of work as well as a potential husband. Additionally, the majority of immigrants are not returning to Mexico temporarily or permanently, as the cost to cross the border illegally has risen to nearly $3,000 USD. -------------- -------------- -------------- Tres Por Uno Remittance Program Still Going Strong -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. Jalisco is a state leader in the Tres Por Uno (3X1) remittance program (Ref A). Jalisco completed 1,300 state 3X1 projects in 2007, with 70% of those funded by Southern California remittances. These projects accounted for $23 GUADALAJAR 00000093 002.2 OF 002 million USD in investment into Jalisco--$9 million from state government, $7 million from municipal governments, and $7 million from U.S. immigrants. The 2007 projects focused on education and housing initiatives, but also included agricultural, tourism, health, sports, and cultural projects. Certain projects encouraged Mexicans abroad with plans to return home someday to invest in home buying/mortgages in Mexico. Normally, Jalisco migratory clubs collect 3X1 remittances as a cover charge for social events hosted in the United States. These funds are then handed down to the Mexican municipality, which manages the bank account logistics through a (theoretically) transparent process. In order to improve the program, participants are focusing on better communication between club leaders and municipal presidents and submitting complete paperwork for all transactions. -------------- -------------- -------------- Jalisco Government Plans Presence in CA, IL, and WA -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶6. The recently approved 2008 Jalisco state budget included $15 million USD for Jalisco to open three "Casas Jalisco" (Houses of Jalisco) in the United States. These facilities would place permanent Jalisco representatives in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle to directly coordinate economic initiatives between Mexico and these U.S. regions. The Jalisco Governor's office is currently coordinating with Mexican Consuls in the United States as it navigates the logistics of establishing a physical presence in another country. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. While Jalisco Governor Gonzalez Marquez is making a genuine effort to combat the habitual exodus of Jalisco residents migrating to the United States, he is also fully aware of the political benefits these initiatives can provide. While the Casas Jalisco are designed to facilitate relations with the expatriate community, as well as to promote tourism, cultural, and business ties between the US and Jalisco, they will also serve as valuable platforms to highlight the Governor's activities and accomplishments. The state government's renewed focus on long-term sustainable employment as a goal for remittance projects is promising, but only time will tell if they can deliver concrete results. Another worrisome factor is the lack of sufficient dialogue regarding any deficiencies or failures in the remittance programs. Transparency is critical for assuring the expatriate communities that their donations are being used properly, and remains a challenge in many municipalities of this important region of western Mexico. End Comment. RAMOTOWSKI