Forums > General > Living, Working, Retiring

David(MTY)

Mar 2, 2003, 11:36 PM

Post #1 of 11 (2489 views)

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Nice US couple's ranchito lost

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Is it a good thing for Mexico that the Idaho ex-peace corps 50-something couple had to give their ranch up this weekend to the stirred-up campesinos in Chiapas? According to the newswires, many ranches have be seized in 1917-revolution style by campesinos in southern Mexico, and the government usually lets them appropriate them. That little piece of paper (the "SRE permit" a foreigner signs) prevents a foreigner from getting any help from their respective consulate, or any intervention from Tío Sam. It is purely a Mexican government issue. Sounds like they were nice - not old enough to retire, trying to make their dream happen in México, built an eco-hotel and business was picking up. It was just 25 acres and 10 years of personal blood, sweat and toil. The constitution prohibits other foreigners basically from helping them, too. Any happy solution to this? There's about 5 machete wielding masked campesinos there now on each acre of the ranchito...

(This post was edited by David(MTY) on Mar 2, 2003, 11:40 PM)

JR Cortesi

Mar 3, 2003, 1:17 AM

Post #2 of 11 (2170 views)

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Re: [David(MTY)] ???????

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You should inform yourself before you address this issue. The State Government of Chiapas bought their ranch. And the couple made a very good business. They received twenty times as much as they had paid when they purchased the land in the Zapatista controlled area. And they said they are thinking about buying more land in Chiapas. Great deal, huge return on investment. Besides, they knew perfectly that the area was a war zone when they purchased the land back in 1994 (they paid a bargain price for the land because of this). They are not stupid.

Do you know the political situation in Chiapas? Would you buy land there? No Mexican in his right mind would do it. The Zapatistas are reclaiming the land that was stolen from their ancestors by Los Finqueros and Caciques in Chiapas.

CanMex

Mar 3, 2003, 5:22 AM

Post #3 of 11 (2073 views)

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Re: [JR Cortesi] ???????

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Just curious? Is this "Finqueros" a madeup word, slang or what?

Luc

Uncle Jack

Mar 3, 2003, 5:26 AM

Post #4 of 11 (2056 views)

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Re: [CanMex] ???????

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I believe that it refers to those who owned or lived on a "Finca"; an estate or a plantation.

UJ

CanMex

Mar 3, 2003, 6:27 AM

Post #5 of 11 (2013 views)

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Re: [Uncle Jack] ???????

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I think you got it UJ, thanks for the reply.

Luc

David(MTY)

Mar 3, 2003, 8:32 AM

Post #6 of 11 (1962 views)

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Re: [CanMex] ???????

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Hi CanMex,

In Monterrey, a finquero in the colonias at first reaction probably would be someone who goes to an empty lot or group of lots to "fincar". Here that means you do the necessary to claim (by purchase or possession), prepare it for any utilities, and begin construction of a house (typically a humble one in these parts) for your family. It is also applied when when ground is broken for a new colonia where the developer does some of this work in advance.

JR, words don't describe your brillance! You are one especial genious. Here I was believing what I read in Reforma (El Norte, for us), the principal newspaper of Monterrey, when they reported that the owners were ejected from their property and lost their savings. They mentioned that the government went to ask the campesinos to please give it back, but the brave campesinos sent the G-men packing too. It never even mentioned that even one square meter of the entire ranch - or escrituras - were were manipulated by those covertly crafty Idahoans when they bought it and even had the gaul to say the purchase was before the Zapatista movement began. It never mentioned that the ranch was now the property of the State government or that the Idahoans received any money for their palapas, cabañas or access road infrastructure investment. I knew there was more to the story, and profoundly appreciate your contribution. I just might subscribe to Mexconnect if you stick around, I wouldn't want to be stuck with the imperialist Mexican newswires. As a matter of fact, I'll be writing a letter to the editor of "El Norte" asking they run their stories by you first!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks, man. You still didn't answer the question in the original post, though. Is this a good thing for Mexico?

CanMex

Mar 3, 2003, 11:33 AM

Post #7 of 11 (1891 views)

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Re: [David(MTY)] ???????

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David, I guess that would be like "squatter" in english, from what I get.

Thanks, Luc

Uncle Jack

Mar 3, 2003, 12:15 PM

Post #8 of 11 (1885 views)

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I really don't think so

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David;

Lets go back and read the words in the context that JR wrote them:

"The Zapatistas are reclaiming the land that was stolen from their ancestors by Los Finqueros and Caciques in Chiapas."

I really don't think that JR was suggesting that the Zapatistas ancestors lost their land to squatters or developers putting in septic tanks or water mains.

Finqueros...................rulers of large plots of land; fincas, haciendas

Caciques....................tyrants, despots

Just a thought!

UJ

(This post was edited by Uncle Jack on Mar 3, 2003, 12:21 PM)

David(MTY)

Mar 3, 2003, 12:17 PM

Post #9 of 11 (1879 views)

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Re: [CanMex] ???????

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Sure, CanMex, a Squatter would increase his claim by "ficando" the property. Strictly speaking, though, it doesn't matter whether it is a squatter claim or Grandpa buying an unimproved lot from another prior owner "fair and square" and then "fincando". In this sense, which is the most common in Monterrey, it is just the physical changes done to improve the lot. Perhaps the word in English is "homesteading" or "improving". It just gets a special meaning depending on who is using it. The Homesteaders vs. the Cowboys come to mind (something like this I recall, please pardon my US history isn't that of a citizen there), when land was improved in the Western US and created battles between the farmers and the cowboys, on one hand. The cowboys hated the homesteading farmers at that time, while the homesteaders probably thought they were on a mission. So the context would have been important to know.

So one might conclude that the reference to "Los Finqueros" in this thread was most similar to the old US term when the plains were barb-wired, and has some pretty heavy overtone to those who perceive that have got the short end of the stick: basically political and emotional bomb as well (ver the overtone of the word "communist" in the US, heck what's wrong with a commune?).

In Monterrey, "fincando" is a source of pride for those who provide for their family and gives bragging rights and is respected at all levels, in this sense. The squatters on the federal land adjacent to the RR tracks I know have also "fincaron", but not always, and typically not too seriously since they expect to be kicked off the federal land. If you buy a parcel of land adjacent to your own house, or the lot between the two homes in the next colonia, here, the word fincar is used to make it livable. To be likely called a "finquero", though you probably do this more than just a backyard project here, you'd probably have to have done it well...twice.

Fincando also has at least one legal meaning, which would be something like "reserved". For example, if you successfully bid and put a deposit on a house in a foreclosure proceeding the the court would "fincar" the property to you.

Saludos

David(MTY)

Mar 3, 2003, 12:22 PM

Post #10 of 11 (1877 views)

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Re: [Uncle Jack] I really don't think so

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Hi UJ,

I absolutely agree with you and it looks like our posts crossed in the mail. CanMex didn't restrict that he only wanted to know about "Los Finqueros", it seemed he was at least as interested in learning the general use of the word. Either way I just wanted to type a lot before the "to pay" conversion

CanMex

Mar 3, 2003, 1:04 PM

Post #11 of 11 (1842 views)

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Re: [Uncle Jack] I really don't think so

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UJ, now I am straight on "finqueros", and I thought I knew "Cacique" until I read your description, so I checked my Spanish/English dictionary, which gave; Cacique or Indian Chief. I then went to my English dictionary which says; leader, chief, Indian chief.

Any comments?

Luc