Contrary to the national trend, remittances from the United States to Chiapas have increased by 1.2 percent (37 or 38 million dollars) this year, stated Daniel Villafuerte Solís, a researcher at the Center for Higher Studies of Mexico and Central America (Cesmeca), affiliated with the University of Sciences and Arts of Chiapas (Unicach).
He believes this is “largely due to the fact that the majority of Chiapas migrants in the United States work in agriculture; their labor is in high demand, cannot be easily rejected, and is protected by employers in key states like California.”
In an interview, he added that “although there have been raids, police repression doesn’t reach the heart of rural areas, and this large number of migrants remains primarily employed in agriculture and construction.”
He noted that “Chiapas will close the year with a remittance amount that I believe will be higher than last year’s $4 billion. From January to September of this year, the accumulated amount already exceeds $3 billion, which is very good for the state’s economy.”
Villafuerte Solís recalled that “in general, the trend in the country is downward because of the difficult situation in the United States, given that President Donald Trump’s entire administration’s policy is focused on applying very strong pressure, not only by reinforcing surveillance on its southern border, but also through the agreement with Mexico to contain migration from South America.”
Under these circumstances, he elaborated, “a decrease was foreseeable, but not only because of that, but also because a series of measures are being implemented within the United States aimed at deporting and intimidating those in so-called sanctuary cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, where local governments disagree with Trump’s immigration policy. He has already deployed immigration police, the National Guard, and the Army, creating a very hostile climate against migrants, which has led to them no longer going to their workplaces, working fewer hours, and some being deported.”
The researcher stated that “all of this has contributed to a considerable decrease in remittances nationwide. We are talking about nearly 3 billion dollars, which is hitting the country hard.”
He said that “in this scenario, it is very interesting how Chiapas, a state with a significant national migration flow to the United States, is experiencing a reverse process. Although there hasn’t been a considerable increase in the total amount of remittances, the rise is noteworthy because from January to September of this year it is approximately 1.2 percent, which translates to around 37 or 38 million dollars.”
He stated that the aforementioned figure “is quite significant for Chiapas because this state has a precarious economy and its productive sector is not very robust. The arrival of 37 or 38 million dollars to rural areas, especially since it involves communities in impoverished municipalities, although it also includes important cities like Tuxtla Gutiérrez, San Cristóbal, and Tapachula,” is very important.
He added, “How can we explain this increase? I would say that, to a large extent, it’s because the workforce is concentrated in rural areas, such as agriculture; this is a highly sought-after workforce that can’t be easily rejected and is protected by agricultural businesses in important states like California.”
He noted that Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero, Veracruz, and Morelos also saw increases in remittances from January to September of this year. “The most significant increase was in Guerrero and Oaxaca. In terms of accumulated amounts, Chiapas ranks first with $3.141 billion, followed by Oaxaca with $2.618 billion.”
Source: jornada
