Mexico defends comic book for illegal immigrants

pelo Blogue de Esquerda fiquei a saber disto:

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexico has defended a government comic book showing illegal migrants how to cross the border and live quietly in the United States against charges that it promotes undocumented immigration.



The 32-page colour primer, published by Mexico's foreign ministry in December, gives would-be migrants tips including how to swim across the Rio Grande and avoid dehydration in the desert. It also sets out their legal rights on detention.

Some U.S. groups and newspaper editorial writers have slammed the booklet as a "how-to" manual for 1 million or more Mexicans who attempt the illegal crossing each year.

"It's reminiscent of the instructions to al Qaeda operatives to help their terrorists keep a low profile in safe houses in Britain," Ric Oltman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform told Reuters.

But Mexico's foreign ministry said the booklet was an attempt to save lives and inform migrants of the legal consequences of entering the United States.

"Last year over 300 Mexicans died in their attempt to enter the United States in search of a job and the government has the obligation to avoid that," Geronimo Gutierrez, the ministry's undersecretary for North American affairs told Reuters on Tuesday.

"The guide clearly states that the safe and appropriate way to enter any country is with a valid passport and a visa, and in no way promotes undocumented immigration," he added.

(...) The booklet urges migrants to wear light clothing to make their swim across border rivers easier and suggests they add salt to water to avoid dehydration while crossing the deserts that form much of the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) frontier.

It also informs migrants of their rights to medical and consular attention if they are detained by U.S. officials.

Using graphic sequences depicting baseball-cap wearing family members, it counsels Mexicans who succeed in reaching the United States to avoid bar brawls, drunken driving and domestic violence.

Gutierrez said the guide sets out "the rights that any Mexican has regardless of their migratory status, based on United States and international law."

Cansados de "aturar" a visão preconceituosa e caricaturizada que os americanos insistem em fazer dos mexicanos (veja-se o exemplo do cinema de Hollywood desde "Rio Bravo" de Howard Hawks até aos filmes de Robert Rodriguez, nos nossos dias), estes não perdem uma oportunidade para, através de um ferruginoso humor típicamente latino, darem umas alfinetadas nos Yankees. Estes ficam atordoados, não percebem, a "coisa" é demasiado súbtil, demasiado mordaz.

Lembra aquela história ( ao que parece verídica) de que quando, em 1961, Kenedy tentou organizar uma acção colectiva ( a "coalition", lá está) contra Cuba, houve uma diplomata mexicano que explicou porque o Mexico ficava de fora: " Se publicamente declararmos que Cuba constitui uma ameaça para a nossa segurança, quarenta milhões de mexicanos morrerão a rir"