Posted on 09/15/2009 10:29:31 AM PDT by traumer
NUEVO PROGRESO — The Winter Texans have gone home, and visitors who usually cross the border to frequent this city in the slow summer months aren’t coming here this year.
Community leaders say tourism in this tiny border town has plummeted in recent months. Business, they claim, has declined by 60 percent this summer compared to the wintertime.
The economic bogeyman isn’t global recession, though. It’s a June 1 change to U.S. travel rules requiring that all U.S. citizens have a passport or PASS Card in hand to return to the country through a land port of entry.
People in Nuevo Progreso blame the new set of rules, dubbed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, for being too onerous for casual shoppers who once strolled down the town’s main strip in search of street food, trinkets and discounted medication.
Despite numerous efforts to spread the word about the new requirement, including several passport fairs in the Rio Grande Valley, many are still not applying for the necessary travel documents.
"Some people have issues with money. Some might just not be interested in obtaining one," said Felix Garza, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "People make their own decisions."
(Excerpt) Read more at brownsvilleherald.com ...
ping
My family and I have been there hundreds of times. There are beautiful things to buy [carved wood furniture, stained glass, etc] and some great restaurants that cater to the tourists.
But we have not gone in a year now. The last time we went the Mexican Army was behind sandbags by the bridge, pointing machine guns towards the main street. Since their Army has been infiltrated by the drug cartels, it is an uncomfortable feeling to go there now.
Arturo’s, considered the best restaurant there, has had family members kidnapped for ransom and ‘robbers’ actually entered the restaurant this year and stole money and jewelery from all the patrons there. It no longer feels 'safe' to go there!
I was in Progresso two weeks ago, dining on a tasty plate of cabrito at Arturo’s. It was excellent as always.
The sad thing was that I had no trouble finding either a parking spot or a table. Arturo’s is usually packed, but since the 1.) Cartel War, 2.) Passport requirements, folks are simply staying away. The Progresso Bridge is now fairly heavily occupied on both sides with ICE/BP on one side and the Mexican Army on the other, complete with armored vehicle and automatic weapon bearing troops. This heavily armed presence tends to dampen the usually light-hearted Progresso.
As to the “Well, people have known about the Passport thing for a long time...” I had several relatives from outside Texas who wanted to visit Progresso, yet did not bring along their Passports. They had no idea they would need them. “We never have before,” they said. It isn’t just the locals who are having trouble. Evidently folks in the Upper Midwest didn’t get the memo either...
Oh, and the joke down there currently runs, “Since they put up a 20-ft. fence, there’s been a run on 24-ft. ladders...”
Yeah, but there is still a 20-foot drop on the other side. It's pretty easy for the BP to catch someone trying to escape with two broken legs...
Hello BrewingFrog,
Good take on this story, thanks for the input.
If I may ask a few quetions it may help many of us understand.
Sounds like you are near Progresso on the U.S. side.
My wife and I drove to Vegas two years ago on I 10 which obviously takes us along the border.
We talked of going across as we have our passports but what with the stories of narco murders, kidnappings for ransom, crime, etc. we said Vegas was dangerous enough.
In reality I believe Vegas with its bad recession is probably more dangerous than Progresso?
Why go across?
What is there that is not on this side?
Appreciate it.
“The change was part of the U.S. effort to secure the nation’s borders after 9/11.”
Watch out for the sonic boom!!
Actually, I am in Houston but travel a few times a year down to the Valley. Roughly 320 miles.
From what the locals tell me, the drug wars are rival gangs all fighting each other with the Army waiting to see who comes out on top. Nobody wants to see all the businesses destroyed by fear, even the narco gangs. It is an odd set of circumstances to be sure...
Progresso is nothing more than about 5 blocks of cheap drug shops, walk-up bars, walk-in bars, knick-knack shops and liquor shops. Booze is cheap there, and the border towns are about the only place to find decent cajeta (goat milk caramel). There are lots of silly things to look at, decent pottery and plenty of bargains to be had. Plus, haggling is still revered as an art form there.
In short, it is a quick visit to another country. I didn’t find it any more dangerous than Houston, what with all the post-Katrina folk here...
Oh, and I used my little passport card. Worked fine.
Enjoy!
I lived in Cypress N.W. Houston for a year. Engineer at T.I. 30 years ago.
Thanks for the input.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.