Plan Puebla-Panama: Massive "Development" for Multinationals on the Backs of the Poor from Southern Mexico to Panama!

By Paul Hays

Plan Puebla-Panama or PPP as it is alternately called was first proposed by Vicente Fox and PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institutional) leaders in September 2000. PPP was designed to construct a grandiose development zone in 9 Mexican states and 7 nations of Central America. Water, minerals, timber, petroleum, sweatshops, bioprospecting, hydroelectric dams and even a dry canal across the states of Tabasco and Chiapas that would move container shipping from Asia to the United States and Europe would all be given to multinationals. The people of the countries would pay the costs for the corporate development. Also to be constructed would be a toll-interstate from Panama City to Texas. Instead of supporting small roads for transport of agricultural and other products, money would flow to the giant toll-roads.

This multinational development is to be funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and will cost 20 Billion USA dollars which is the equivalent of 200 Billion Mexican pesos. The 63 million people living in the geographical zone would not own or have a say in the design of any of the developments. Unlike MARTA, TVA or Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, governmental agencies would neither control policy nor set policy for the projects. Of the 63 million residents in the 9 Mexican states and 7 Central American nations, 18% are indigenous, 40 percent are young people under the age of 15, 25% are illiterate and the majority live below the official poverty level. Few have television, some have radio and 1% have access to the World Wide Web. Over 100 languages, many of them Mayan, are spoken in the 9 states and 7 nations.

What are people doing to oppose the plan? People and organizations in Mexico, Central America and the United States are organizing, marching and blocking roads. They are teaching people. The Zapatistas have made it a major issue although they are willing to compromise on electrification. They just want it done differently than Vicente Fox. Although there is no consensus among the opposition about what kind of "development" would best aid the region, there is unity against the PPP. Unity is needed because the land use policy promoted by the PPP would take away lands used by indigenous peoples and campesinos. It would not fund rural development. In fact, in 2002 the Mexican budget for PPP gave 82% of the funds to transportation issues and just 2.9% for health or social development.

More Info in English: 1. ciep.org/bulletins/l*ndexO2.htm
2. projectcensored.org/publications/2004/16.html
3. labornotes.org/arcives/2002/04/a.htn-tl
4. Americas.irc-online.org/citizen-action/series/02-ppp--:body.html
5. Search the Resource Center of the Americas for PPP.

Dedication: 1(800) FARM-AID, 1 (800) NO BRUTALITY, Iowa International Writing Program, GSU African-American Studies Department.