I have no doubt that in the best of spirits, on the 1st of this month, in her first message to the people of Veracruz, Governor Rocío Nahle proclaimed that from that day on, “Veracruz is in fashion.”
She expressed the phrase as the slogan of her government’s tourism strategy, which left the impression that it is not based on improvisation, because of the calendar of at least one monthly activity related to tourism that her administration has scheduled.
But, as the saying goes, hell is paved with good intentions. Good intentions are not enough. They are of no use and will not be of any use if they are not accompanied by an immediate policy of repairing –at least– the state’s highways and if the calendar of celebrations in towns and cities of Veracruz is not thoroughly reviewed.
The phrase “Veracruz is in fashion” resonated with me every time I hit a pothole while traveling from Xalapa to Coatzacoalcos on Federal Highway 180, which we know better as the Gulf Coast Highway. It cannot be done like this, I told myself, and it will not be possible.
I thought, for example, if in the remainder of December and in the days of January, 53 days in total, they do not repair the highway that leads from Veracruz to Tlacotalpan in the best way, they cannot attract foreign tourism, not domestic tourism, for the celebration of the Fiesta de la Candelaria, on February 2, if they do not guarantee a good road network.
I also think it was wrong that, without having coordinated with the mayor of the port of Veracruz, Patricia Lobeira, they included the celebration of the carnival festivities of the port of Veracruz in the month of February, when the Veracruz city council has scheduled it to be held from June 26 to July 2.
“With us it would be practically impossible. As we have already explained, when we arrived, because of the Covid issue, that date was set and it would be very complicated to hold two carnivals in a single fiscal year, we could not pay,” explained the mayor. As far as we can see, no one took it into account for the new state programming.
And I still don’t understand why, as happened with the administration of Cuitláhuac García Jiménez, Catemaco continues to be the ugly duckling, since two key dates of that city were not included in the tourist promotion that the Rocío government will do: the first Friday of March, “Day of the Witches”, and July 16, celebration of the appearance of the Virgin of Carmen.
The truth is that on both dates domestic tourism arrives without the need for official promotion, both because some believe in witchcraft and because of the devotion to the virgin. There are thousands of visitors, mainly from the south of the state, but with official promotion, the arrival of more tourists would be encouraged and the economy would be strengthened, not only locally, but in the entire region. I think someone has not done their job well.
To get to Tlacotalpan, it is true, you also need a large staircase and a small one and up and up, but there is a risk that those who risk going to the celebration will be left wanting not to return if they suffer from the poor condition of the communication routes.
The same can be said for the case of the Cumbre Tajín, in the month of March, since everyone knows how destroyed the same Highway 180 from Cardel to Papantla is, as are sections, or most, of the one that leads to Catemaco.
“Tourism and culture will be the axes to transform our state. We are committed to making tourism a lever for development that allows us to project ourselves as an attractive destination on a global level,” said Rocío on December 1.
I was thinking over the weekend, while continuing my trip to Coatzacoalcos, whether it would not have been a good idea to also announce a statewide roadblock, like the one President Claudia Sheinbaum undertook with federal highways, which, it must be said, is not a big deal either, just a cosmetic smear of tar or asphalt, as if to cover up the man’s eye, but worse than nothing.
When I left Catemaco heading south, towards Juan Díaz Covarrubias, I could not help but think, in view of the craters in what was once a highway, whether Asian countries like China or North Korea are right to go to the extremes of imprisoning or shooting officials who do not fulfill their responsibility well. Part of that highway is disgusting, I say it with that term to try to be more illustrative.
And yes, I thought of Elio Hernández Gutiérrez, the former Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Works of the government of Cuitláhuac García Jiménez. How is it possible that no one called him to account, nor will he be called to account, to answer for his direct responsibility for the poor condition of the roads?
He should be thoroughly investigated and brought to trial, and with him Cuitláhuac, because without a professional soccer team they decided, instead, to rebuild the Luis “Pirata” Fuente soccer stadium, for which they allocated a total of 1,694 million pesos, which could have been invested in repairing and even rebuilding the state’s roads.
Senator Manuel Huerta was right to denounce in time, again and again, the poor work that was done in the little that was done. On November 18, he declared that the constant citizen complaints force the State Comptroller General’s Office and the Superior Audit Body to carry out an exhaustive investigation of the management of public resources.
“They have to be reviewed. People know it, there was no will, there was a lot of carelessness and, in addition, the mechanisms are not transparent. In some cases of extreme corruption, they are visible to the eyes. You don’t have to be a comptroller or auditor to realize that a highway that is inaugurated on a Friday and that on Monday dawns washed out, was poorly done.”
I don’t think there is any Veracruz citizen who doesn’t want Veracruz to be in fashion for the things that signify it well. It has what it takes: its natural beauty, its historical past, its music, its gastronomy, its culture, its joy, its hospitality, its people, its mischief even, and, now, the good intentions of its new governor.
In March, we were told, a national tourist market will be brought to Veracruz, in Mexicali, and an international festival, the Jazz Festival in New Orleans. Good, without a doubt. Hopefully, this will be accompanied by effective work to rescue our highway network. Without the arteries in good condition, the bloodstream of tourism cannot flow or run, but not the one with jicama and chile or the one with cama-arena, the one with pambazos, the one with any fried food you can think of, but the one that projects, the one that sells the best image of Veracruz not only to locals, but also to foreigners.
Source: presencia
