Victims of the April 22, 1992, explosions in the Reforma neighborhood of Guadalajara gathered at the memorial this Tuesday, 33 years after the tragedy, with the news that there is “a possibility” that the state government will present an initiative to ensure that the trust fund created to financially support those who survived with physical injuries has a guaranteed budget that is adjusted for inflation.
The demand persists despite the passage of time, first because Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has not acknowledged that the explosions were due to a spill at its La Nogalera plant in Guadalajara, and because no one has been jailed for the accident in which, officially, 212 people died.
The death toll has been questioned since 1992 by victims and civil associations, given the shocking events of the sewer chain explosion that destroyed more than eight kilometers of streets, damaging 1,142 homes, 450 businesses, 100 schools, and 600 vehicles. It also left 69 people missing and 1,800 injured.
Claudia Manzano, representative of the April 22 civil association, said that there are still people who suffered injuries and who do not receive 100 percent of the pension provided through the trust fund. Therefore, she insisted that a registry should be compiled to assess the physical damage and update the percentage of financial support provided to them.
Another point is that many victims are left with mobility problems, making it difficult for them to go to medical consultations because there is no clinic near the area where the explosions occurred.
The president of the same association, Lilia Ruiz, said that the previous administration, headed by Governor Enrique Alfaro (the party’s president), practically ignored medical support and had to be forced to comply through injunctions.
The commemorative event took place in the Analco neighborhood, next to the Stele Against Oblivion sculpture, which was built to honor the memory of those who lost their lives. Many of those present expressed their hope that current Governor Pablo Lemus would reinstate medical support. He had also pledged to present an initiative to ensure that the trust fund would receive annual funds adjusted for inflation to support those left with after-effects and listed as victims.
Lemus met with members of the association on Monday afternoon and, according to a statement from the state government, told them that “it was proposed to analyze the possibility of submitting a bill to the State Congress so that the annual contribution made by the Jalisco government (5.5 million pesos) would be integrated into the state’s proposed budget, with its corresponding inflation adjustment.”
Source: jornada
