Thursday, September 23, 2010

Mexican Community Calling For President Calderon To Remove Consul Rodriguez Arriaga From Chicago

Photos courtesy of MCS

The Mexican Consulate provides services to Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois Mexican nationals. Now, Mexican communities in the tri-state area are calling for Consul Manuel Rodriguez Arriaga ouster.

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 23, 2010

Chicago, Illinois - Members and organizations from the Mexican community in the Chicago area are calling for President Felipe Calderon and the Mexican government to immediately remove the Consul in Chicago. Consul Manuel Rodriguez Arriaga came under fire in early June when it was discovered that he had left out the Mexican Civic Society of Illinois from the official "El Grito" event.
Members of the Mexican community protested in front of the Mexican Consulate for weeks. Before midnight on September 15, they even protested at the night of El Grito Bicentennial Mexican Independence at the Millenium Park in Chicago. The protesters boo and continued to boo Consul Arriaga during his presentation and even yelled "¡Fuera, fuera, fuera Consul Arriaga!" (Out, out, out Consul Arriaga!). The protesters displayed large signs denouncing Arriaga and calling for President Calderon to remove Arriaga from his post.
Everywhere in the globe where large populations of Mexican nationals reside celebrated in unity, including in the U.S., except in Chicago.
Consul Arriaga's common practice is not to comment after repeated requests by Hispanic News Network U.S.A. to do so. In August, Agustin Emilio Pradillo Cuevas, Social Communication Department Chief at the Mexican Consulate said, Arriaga and the consulate would release a statement informing the Chicago community of details of who was handling the accounts and money generated by the Grito event. The information was supposed to have been made available in early September, but has yet to be released.
Protesters alleged, Consul Arriaga is practicing depotism at the Mexican Consulate, lacks transparency in the Grito event, has lacked to provide legal representation or condemn publicaly the deportation of thousands of undocumented Mexican immigrants from Chicago and two other states, slow and inedaquate services to Mexican nationals seeking services at the consulate. Those seeking services have to wait hours to get attended by one person in different areas and departments. Mexican nationals travel long distances for the services such as legal documents and end up experiencing long hours to get the services. The services are paid by Mexican nationals in U.S. dollars, generating millions for the Chicago Consulate and is considered one of the Mexican Consulates in the U.S. that generates the most funds for the Mexican government, since it opened its office at 204 S. Ashland Ave. The Mexican community is also requesting for the Mexican government to audit the accounts at the Chicago Consulate, since Consul Arriaga's appointment to the post.
The Chicago Mexican Consulate provides services to Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. 
El Grito is done after September 15 at midnight on September 16. On September 16, 1810 is the day of the "Grito de Dolores" or Miguel Hidalgo's call to take up arms against the Spanish colonial government. The start of the Mexican Revolution is celebrated on November 20, 1910 when Francisco "Pancho" Villa and Pascual Orozco led the first insurrectionist attack.

Related article of protests in front of the Mexican Consulate by members of the Mexican community.

Breaking News: Second Protest At Mexican Consul In Chicago Over Bicentennial "El Grito" Ouster Of Mexican Civic Society http://bit.ly/9ESaRF

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