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U.S.-MEXICO BORDER

NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO

National Guard LOPEZ OBRADOR will assist VISITS SISTER CITY federal agents 2,000 to 4,000 troops to stay until wall is built

By Anita Snow and Catherine Lucey A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

PHOENIX — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants to send between 2,000 and 4,000 National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border to help federal officials fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but it wasn’t clear who would be called up or if they would even be allowed to carry guns.

Trump’s comments to reporters on Air Force One were his first estimate on guard levels he believes are needed for border protection. It is lower than the 6,400 National Guard members that former President George Bush sent to the border between 2006 and 2008.

Trump said his administration is looking into the cost of sending the troops to the border and added “we’ll probably keep them or a large portion of them until the wall is built.”

Earlier Thursday, Ronald Vitiello, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s acting deputy commissioner, cautioned against a rushed deployment.

“We are going to do it as quickly as we can do it safely,” Vitiello told Fox News Channel.

He said that guard members

would be placed in jobs that do not require law enforcement work, an apparent reference to undertaking patrols and making arrests.

The Republican governors of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have backed the deployment but it was unclear Thursday how Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown would respond to Trump’s call.

Brown’s office repeatedly referred requests for comment to the California National Guard, which said the state first must be informed where money for the deployment would come from, how long it would last and clearly define the operation’s objectives.

In Washington, Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie told reporters at the Pentagon that it has not yet been determined how many, if any, of the troops in the border security operation will be armed.

Trump ordered the deployment because “we are at a crisis point” with illegal immigration, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen of the Department of Homeland Security said.

“We’d like to stop it before the numbers get even bigger,” she said.

Nielsen said guard members Border continues on A3

Ross D. Franklin / AP

A National Guard unit is shown patroling the border in 2017.

Guard contingents are waiting for guidance from Washington.

Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News

Mexican presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador addresses the crowd during a campaign stop in Nuevo Laredo.

Thousands gather at plaza to hear left-wing presidential candidate

By Melissa Santillana L AREDO MORNING TIME S

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico — Around 12 p.m. Thursday, a young mother stood in a plaza here feeding her three children, who each shared one taco. She was with her husband and sister, who was holding up a copy of one of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s books. The family joined over 1,000 others in the plaza to listen to the left-wing presidential candidate’s campaign speech.

Maria del Socorro, 24, who just over a year ago moved from Puebla to Nuevo Laredo, said they believe in Lopez Obrador.

“That’s our book, we bought it. We are here (supporting him) because we ... want a better country. We believe in him,” she said.

This is Lopez Obrador’s third run for the presidency. His first attempt at the Mexican presidency was in 2006, when he was up against Roberto Madrazo (PRI) and Felipe Calderon

(PAN). The second time, in 2012, he ran against Josefina Vasquez-Mota (PAN) and Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI). On both occasions he was the candidate of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

The populist candidate is now with Morena, or National Regeneration Movement, a political party he founded in 2014.

Speaking to the crowd of supporters waving flags and holding AMLOVE signs, a play on Lopez Obrador’s initials, the early front runner pledged to end the nation’s “culture of corruption” in part by ending generous pensions for former presidents and converting the presidential palace, Los Pinos, into public space that celebrates Mexico’s rich heritage.

Del Socorro said she has been voting for Morena ever since she was able to register to vote. Her family moved from Puebla, a state in Central Mexico, looking for job opportunities.

“There are better opportunities for us here. Salaries are better in Nuevo Laredo than back home,” she said.

Another supporter who attended the rally in Plaza Hidalgo, located six blocks from the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, said he used to be with a different political party but that Lopez Obrador fulfills his expectations, so he is voting Morena in the elections.

“We are looking to help ...

Lopez Obrador crystallize his project, so that we can have a positive change for everyone,” said Ramiro Fernando Banda García, 55. “So that we all can have an opportunity to change our society for good.”

Banda García, who has lived in Nuevo Laredo his entire life, said everyone in Nuevo Laredo knows it has security and social challenges. He said there are many political interests at play right now, and that is why cities like Tampico and Reynosa are going through rough times.

U.S.-MEXICO RELATIONS

Mexicans unite to slam deployment of US guardsmen A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Mexican politicians put aside differences Thursday to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to the border.

In the midst of a hotly contested campaign ahead of the July 1 presidential elections, President Enrique Peña Nieto praised even opposition candidates he usually quarrels with, as they joined in criticizing Trump’s latest move.

“The presidential candidates, independently of their natural differences, all of them coincided in rejecting these measures that run counter to good relations between neighbors,” Peña Nieto said in a broadcast message.

He mentioned all four candidates, including front runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, at whom he has levelled veiled criticism in the past, in part because Lopez Obrador has pledged to undo some of Peña Nieto’s marketoriented reforms if elect-

ed.

Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday that “we will not accept the use of force, the militarization of the border. Problems aren’t solved that way; peace and tranquility are derived from justice.”

Lopez Obrador said Mexico should send a line of white-clad peace demonstrators to the border.

Peña Nieto added, addressing Trump, “if your recent statements are derived from your frustration with (U.S.) domestic politics, with

your laws or your congress, deal with them, not with us Mexicans.

We will not allow any negative rhetoric to define our actions.”

The country’s Senate passed a resolution Wednesday calling on Mexico’s government to suspend cooperation with the U.S. on illegal immigration and drug trafficking in retaliation for Trump’s move.

Presidential candidate Ricardo Anaya went further, saying Mexico should limit anti-terrorRelations continues on A3

Hand out photo / AFP/Getty Images

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto delivers a televised message referring to the relationship between Mexico and the United States at Los Pinos presidential residence in Mexico City on Thursday.

In Brief A2 | Saturday, April 7, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE NATION

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, APRIL 7

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

SUNDAY, APRIL 8 Holy Redeemer Church Annual Jamaica. 1602 Garcia St. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. General admission is free. Food and games for kids and adults, 3 p.m. loteria, and a raffle where first prize is gift cards totaling $5,000. For more information call Amparo Ugalde, 956-286-0862.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

IBC keynote speaker series. 7:30 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom.

What is Government Doing about Inequality since the 1970s? Presentation featuring Peter H. Lindert, distinguished professor of economics at the University of California, Davis. The event is free and open to the public.

Translations services (English to Spanish) will be available.

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Habitat for Humanity Laredo major fundraiser Golfing For Roofs golf tournament. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Hole sponsorships are title $10,000, platinum $5,000, diamond $2,500, gold $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze. For information, call 724-3227.

MONDAY, APRIL 16 Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in Spanish. 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classrooom #1. The support group welcomes adults suffering from anxiety and/ or depression to participate in free and confidential support group meetings. For more information, contact Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar at gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com or 956-307-2014.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 Border Region Behavioral Health Center Volunteer Services Council’s 26th Annual Administrative Professionals' Day Luncheon & Musical Fashion Show. 11:30 a.m.

Laredo Country Club. If you would like to purchase tickets or reserve a table, RSVP with Laura Kim 956-794-3130 or blaurak@borderregion.org. Tickets are $75 a person.

First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 Villa San Agustin De Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting. 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speakers will be Cynthia Haynes Ramirez and Pat Rogers Yzaguirrre. For more information, call Syliva Reash at 956-763-1810.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 Spanish Book Club meeting. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library conference room. For more information, call Syliva Reash at 956-7631810.

TUESDAY, MAY 1 15th Annual Mental Health and Substance Abuse Symposium. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. UT Health Regional Campus Laredo. 1937 Bustamante St. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center at 956-7120037.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

Mel Evans / AP

Bill Cosby, second right, leaves the Montgomery County Courthouse after jury selection in his sexual assault retrial with spokesperson Andrew Wyatt, right, on Thursdayin Norristown, Pa.

JURY SELECTED IN BILL COSBY’S TRIAL NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Prosecutors and the defense wrapped up jury selection in the Bill Cosby sexual assault case Thursday, setting the stage for the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era.

All six alternates — half of them black — were picked without incident after an earlier showdown over the jury’s racial makeup. Alternate jurors listen to the evidence and testimony, but do not participate in jury deliberations unless called upon to replace jurors on the main panel.

Cosby’s lawyers had accused prosecutors of discrimination for removing a

Trump didn’t know about payment to Stormy Daniels ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump said Thursday he didn’t know about the $130,000 payment his personal attorney made to Stormy Daniels, issuing a firm denial in his first public comments about the adult-film actress who alleges she had an affair with him.

Asked aboard Air Force One whether he knew about the

black woman from consideration on the main jury of 12 that will decide the fate of the 80-year-old black comedian.

The district attorney’s office rejected the allegation, noting that prosecutors had no objection to seating two other black people on the jury. The other 10 jurors are white. There are seven men and five women. Opening statements are scheduled for Monday in a trial that’s expected to last a month.

As he left the courthouse, Cosby thanked a woman who wished him good luck. — Compiled from AP reports

payment, Trump said flatly: “No.” Trump also said he didn’t know why his longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, had made the payment.

“You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney.

You’ll have to ask Michael,” he said, adding that he didn’t know where Cohen had gotten the money.

Until now, Trump had avoided questions on Daniels, though the White House has consistently said Trump denies there was a relationship. Still, he has been dogged by the

focus on the porn actress, who says she had a sexual encounter with the president in 2006 and was paid to keep quiet about it as part of a nondisclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels is now seeking to invalidate that agreement. Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, tweeted: “We very much look forward to testing the truthfulness of Mr. Trump’s feigned lack of knowledge concerning the $130k payment as stated on Air Force One.” — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE STATE 4 charged in DWI crash that killed woman and baby HOUSTON — Prosecutors said Thursday that they’ve filed charges against a Houston bartender and two men who bought drinks for an underage woman who caused a drunken crash that killed a mother and her baby in February.

Harris County DA Kim Ogg said Thursday that the charges are the first involving a new task force in her office that works to find the source of the alcohol in alcohol-related cases.

The 20-year-old driver, Veronica Rivas, was indicted this week on two counts of intoxicated manslaughter in the Feb. 28 crash in southeast Houston that killed 36-year-old Shayla Joseph and Joseph’s infant son, Braylan, who was in his car seat. Joseph was on maternity leave from her job at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle

Police investigate the scene of a fatal vehicle crash on Feb. 28 in Friendswood. A woman and an infant died in the wreck.

Authorities say Rivas was speeding in her SUV and that her blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent. She is due to be arraigned April 24 and is free on $30,000 bond.

Amy Allen, a bartender at the Crescent City Connection Sports & Oyster Bar in southeast Houston, is charged with

acting with criminal negligence by permitting Rivas and a 17year-old companion to drink alcohol. Allen, 40, faces up to a year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor.

Two others, including Devin Jackson, 24, the bar owner’s son, and another man, John Medina, 23, are charged. — Compiled from AP reports

Today is Saturday, April 7, the 97th day of 2018. There are 268 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History: On April 7, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower held a news conference in which he spoke of the importance of containing the spread of communism in Indochina, saying, "You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences." (This became known as the "domino theory," although Eisenhower did not use that term.)

On this date: In 1788, an expedition led by Gen. Rufus Putnam established a settlement at present-day Marietta, Ohio.

In 1798, the Mississippi Territory was created by an act of Congress, with Natchez as the capital.

In 1862, Union forces led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.

In 1927, the image and voice of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover were transmitted live from Washington to New York in the first successful long-distance demonstration of television.

In 1939, Italy invaded Albania, which was annexed less than a week later.

In 1948, the World Health Organization was founded in Geneva.

In 1953, the U.N. General Assembly ratified Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden as the new secretary-general, succeeding Trygve Lie of Norway.

In 1962, nearly 1,200 Cuban exiles tried by Cuba for their roles in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion were convicted of treason.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter announced he was deferring development of the neutron bomb, a highradiation weapon.

In 1983, space shuttle astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson went on the first U.S. spacewalk in almost a decade as they worked in the open cargo bay of Challenger for nearly four hours.

In 1994, civil war erupted in Rwanda, a day after a mysterious plane crash claimed the lives of the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi; in the months that followed, hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsi and Hutu moderates were slaughtered by Hutu extremists.

In 1998, British pop star George Michael was arrested on suspicion of committing a lewd act in a restroom at Will Rogers Park in Beverly Hills, California; Michael later pleaded no contest, was fined $810 and ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.

Ten years ago: Anti-China protesters disrupted the Olympic torch relay in Paris, at times forcing Chinese organizers to put out the flame and take the torch onto a bus to secure it.

Kansas won the NCAA championship, defeating Memphis 75-68 in overtime.

Coach Pat Riley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Adrian Dantley and broadcaster Dick Vitale were among those selected for Basketball's Hall of Fame.

Five years ago: A fierce battle between U.S.-backed Afghan forces and Taliban militants in a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan left nearly 20 people dead, including 11 Afghan children killed in an airstrike and an American civilian adviser. In Egypt, Christians angered by the killing of four Christians in sectarian violence clashed with a Muslim mob throwing rocks and firebombs, killing one and turning Cairo's main Coptic cathedral into a battleground.

Today's Birthdays: Media commentator Hodding Carter III is 83.

Country singer Bobby Bare is 83.

Rhythm-and-blues singer Charlie Thomas (The Drifters) is 81. California Gov. Jerry Brown is 80. Movie director Francis Ford Coppola is 79. Actress Roberta Shore is 75. Singer Patricia Bennett (The Chiffons) is 71. Singer John Oates is 70. Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is 69. Singer Janis Ian is 67. Country musician John Dittrich is 67. Actor Jackie Chan is 64. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett is 64. Actor Russell Crowe is 54. Christian/jazz singer Mark Kibble (Take 6) is 54. Actor Bill Bellamy is 53.

Rock musician Dave "Yorkie" Palmer (Space) is 53. Rock musician Charlie Hall (The War on Drugs) is 44. Former football player-turned-analyst Tiki Barber is 43. Actress Heather Burns is 43. Christian rock singer-musician John Cooper (Skillet) is 43. Actor Kevin Alejandro is 42. Rock musician Ben McKee (Imagine Dragons) is 33.

Actor Ed Speleers is 30.

Thought for Today: "Lying is done with words and also with silence." — Adrienne Rich, American poet (19292012).

SATURDAY, MAY 5 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Public is invited.

Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

AROUND THE WORLD Poisoned daughter better as dispute at UN worsens LONDON — The daughter of a former Russian spy poisoned by a nerve agent said Thursday in her first public comment that she’s recovering, but the international furor over the attack escalated as Russia told the United Nations Moscow assumes “with a high degree of probability” that the intelligence services of other coun-

tries are behind it.

Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Karen Piece shot back that Russia has come up with 24 theories on who bears responsibility for the poisoning of an ex-spy and his daughter in England, but the United Kingdom has only one — that it’s highly likely Russia was responsible. Yulia Skripal, 33, said in a statement released by British police that her “strength is growing daily” and she expressed gratitude to those who came to her aid when she and

CONTACT US her father, Sergei, were found unconscious on a bench a month ago.

“I am sure you appreciate that the entire episode is somewhat disorientating, and I hope that you’ll respect my privacy and that of my family during the period of my convalescence,” she said. The hospital in the English city of Salisbury confirmed that Yulia’s health has improved, while her 66year-old father, Sergei Skripal, remains in critical condition. — Compiled from AP reports

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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 7, 2018 |

A3

FROM THE COVER RELATIONS From page A1

ism cooperation until the National Guard is withdrawn. Anaya is the candidate of a left-right coalition in the country’s July 1 presidential election.

Ruling party candidate Jose Antonio Meade said that “independently of our political differences, it is time for all the presidential candidates to

unite in defense of the sovereignty and dignity of the nation ... to reject and repudiate thus kind of measure.”

Others took Trump’s decision with a grain of salt after the Mexican government said Guard troops “will not carry weapons or have immigration or customs duties.”

The newspaper El Heraldo said in a headline Thursday “U.S. deploys National Guard ...

tin soldiers.”

On the border, Mexicans unanimously rejected the measure, but also agreed it wouldn’t have much practical effect.

“The attitude of militarization seems to us like just one more insult that we Mexicans don’t deserve,” said Ramon Galindo, the state government representative in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas.

“Having soldiers on the other side won’t make absolutely any difference at all,” Galindo said, noting that migration, trade and crossborder exchanges are a reality.

Jorge de Santiago, a maquiladora worker whose house sits right on the border, said of the deployment: “It looks bad, but it doesn’t do much. It’s pure populism, just meant to frighten people.”

Mauricio Palos / Bloomberg

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, MORENA presidential candidate, bottom right, and wife Beatriz Gutierrez Muller gesture during a campaign rally in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state of Mexico, on Sunday.

OBRADOR From page A1 “Nuevo Laredo is a little bit quieter,” he said.

Those of us who live in (Nuevo) Laredo, we know that five years ago, we were in pretty bad shape.

In this moment it’s peaceful. It doesn’t mean we are fine, but we are living a calmer period.”

His comments come a week after interim Nuevo Leon Gov. Manuel Gonzalez Flores asked citizens of the northern state to avoid traveling to the U.S. through Reynosa.

During Lopez Obrador’s speech Thursday, some audience members were holding signs that read, “Soy norteña y voy a votar por ya sabes quien,” which translates to, “I am from the north and I will vote for you know who.”

“The you know who” is a reference to political spots paid by Morena in 2017 that didn’t mention Lopez Obrador or show his face. This avoided breaking election laws. In Mexico, candidates could not start campaigning until March 30. The election is July 31.

Lopez Obrador said to his supporters, “we are looking at a new phenomenon, something never seen before.”

“According to the polls, we are winning every northern state in Mexico,” he said.

In the 2012 elections, PAN conquered Sonora, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, while Chihuahua and Coahuila voted PRI,

Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News

Supporters react as Lopez Obrador addresses the crowd during a campaign stop in Nuevo Laredo.

according to the Federal Electoral Institute.

“Previously, the democratic movement with a social dimension was only strong in the south, in the southeast, but now we are winning in Baja California, Coahuila, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nuevo Leon, and we are winning in Tamaulipas!” Lopez Obrador said. “And I am here to ask you to keep going, don’t lose faith, don’t lose hope, keep your confidence high, be absolutely sure we won’t fail you.”

Among other campaign promises, Lopez Obrador has vowed to put an end to corruption with a peaceful and real change.

“We will make a transformation. It won’t be as it has been done before, in which an administration finishes its term and another from another political party comes and it’s all still the same. That will end,” he said. “That type of alternation in power doesn’t work. We will change a rotten corrupt regimen for one of

justice. That will be our great peaceful revolution.

Corruption is the cancer that’s killing our dear Mexico.”

Lopez Obrador also promised to stop a 5 million pesos pension, or roughly $274,000, that former Mexican presidents receive monthly.

“There is no law saying former presidents need to be paid a pension. It’s just an agreement each president signs as they take office, because they know it is going to benefit them once they’re gone,” he said. “Well, once I am president I won’t sign that agreement, and those pensions will be over.”

“We can’t have a rich government and poor people, all the luxuries are finished,” he said, referencing the presidential airplane, which cost taxpayers 7,500 million pesos, and the supposed 54 jets and 118 helicopters that reside in Los Pinos, the presidential house.

In the middle of his speech, Lopez Obrador

said he wanted to address President Donald Trump’s decision to send the National Guard to the border.

“I don’t think it’s wise.

If we analyze this, we think the most convenient thing for the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. is to have an amicable relationship of mutual respect and of cooperation,” he said. “But why is Trump acting this way against our country?

Because that anti-Mexican policy has worked for him at the polls. Because unfortunately, there are conservative sectors in the U.S. with very little information, and he has awaken an anti-Mexican sentiment in them.”

Lopez Obrador said he thinks Trump is already thinking about re-election and that’s why he is returning to the same discourse that got him in the White House.

“He says there’s a big threat in the southern border. That’s not true. I can prove it,” Lopez Obrador said. “Laredo is one of the safest cities with the least violence in the United States. They have more crime in Washington than in Laredo. Unfortunately, the problem is on our side.”

He said he will try to keep a respectful relationship with the U.S. But Mexico wants mutual respect, he said.

“Our country won’t be anyone’s piñata,” he said.

BORDER From page A1 would provide support to border officials, “help look at the technology, the surveillance, in some cases we’ll ask for some fleet mechanics” and free up agents trained in law enforcement for other duties.

Arrests along the U.S. border with Mexico jumped to 50,308 in March, a 37 percent increase from February, and more than triple the same period last year.

Border arrests rose 10 of the last 11 months after falling in April 2017 to the lowest since the Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003.

In Mexico, the country’s politicians condemned Trump’s deployment decision and Mexico’s Senate passed a resolution Wednesday calling for the suspension of cooperation on illegal immigration and drug trafficking in retaliation.

In 1997, camouflageclad U.S. Marines ordered to patrol the border for drugs in West Texas shot and killed 18-year-old Esequiel Hernandez Jr. while he was herding his family’s goats near the tiny village of Redford, Texas, along the border.

That shooting sparked anger in the region and ended the President Bill Clinton-era military presence along the international line.

After Sept. 11, Bush sent unarmed National Guard units to the border to support federal agents.

The troops that Bush sent improved lighting at border crossings, extended existing fencing along the international boundary, built roads, monitored remote cameras, operated communications equipment and sat in mobile observation towers watching for people sneaking into the U.S. Their presence was especially felt in Palomas, Mexico, a smuggling hub south of the village of Columbus, New Mexico, where the increased presence and equipment was credited with easing illegal northbound immigrant travel.

President Barack Obama in 2010 deployed National Guard troops to the border over fear of

increasing drug-trafficking violence.

Those troops worked on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support, analysis and training, and support efforts to block drug trafficking.

They temporarily supplemented Border Patrol agents until Homeland Security could recruit and train additional officers and agents to work on the border. While some were armed for their own self-defense, they were not authorized to make arrests.

During the last two border deployments, the guard’s supporting role was criticized by some people who thought they should be more involved in enforcement.

There are now more than 20,000 Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico boundary and Trump wants to add 5,000 more to the force’s currently funded level of about 21,000.

Guard members sent to the border to help don’t always come from border states. Some of the first sent under Bush’s two-year deployment were from Utah.

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said she would not send troops if asked because she is “deeply troubled

by Trump’s plan to militarize our border.” And Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said he “would not be eager” to send troops because so many other states are closer to the border with Mexico.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, said he would be willing to send National Guard members to the border “who are experienced and who have done that before.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, said he would never deploy National Guard troops “based simply on the whim of the President’s morning Twitter habit.”

A fifth-generation Arizona rancher who is an outspoken supporter of Trump’s border wall said he was “absolutely elated” by the president’s National Guard deployment plans.

Jim Chilton’s ranch in Arivaca, Arizona stretches 14 miles (23 kilometers) along the border, separated from Mexico by barbed wire cattle fence.

Ross D. Franklin / AP

(The San Antonio Express-News contributed to this report.)

In this file photo, a member of the New York National Guard keeps an eye on a group of suspected illegal immigrants near the Arizona-Mexico border

Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com

A4 | Saturday, April 7, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Taking stock of tax reform

By Adam N. Michel HER ITAG E F OUNDAT ION

So, with the first quarter of 2018 behind us, what’s the word on the big tax cut passed in December? Is it "crumbs," as Nancy Pelosi declared? Has it launched the U.S. in to the next Great Depression, as a Washington Post column predicted?

Far from it. In fact, the early evidence shows that tax reform is indeed contributing to more new jobs and higher wages for working Americans.

More than 450 companies to date have announced bonuses, pay raises, and better benefits - including American Airlines, AT&T, Bank of America and Comcast.

Fiat Chrysler announced it will move some of its manufacturing plants in Mexico back to the United States. The company will invest more than $1 billion in its Detroit plant, which will create 2,500 jobs.

"It is only proper that our employees share in the savings generated by tax reform and that we openly acknowledge the resulting improvement in the U.S. business environment by investing in our industrial footprint," the company’s CEO said.

Tech giant Apple, also announced it will invest $350 billion and add 20,000 employees over the next five years.

It’s not just big companies that are sharing the love. A small Wichita business gave each of the company’s five employees bonuses, ranging from $3,000 to $6,000. "We are a family environment," said President and CEO Bob Aldrich. "My crumbs are a little bit better than Pelosi thinks."

Even if your company did not immediately raise your wage or hand out a large bonus, the Treasury Department estimates that about nine out of 10 Americans should have larger paychecks thanks to lower tax rates, a larger standard deduction, and an increased child tax credit.

The anecdotal evidence that tax cuts are benefiting American workers is encouraging, but there’s more to the story. If we take a step back to make a more sober assessment of the economy, a similar story emerges.

Planned business investment is at levels unseen since the early 1980s, according to the Philadelphia Federal Reserve. Similar measures of investment around the country are also soaring. Small business optimism is at record levels, including planed compensation and capital spending increases. More business

investment means more jobs and higher wages in the future.

A healthier business environment increases demand for workers.

Unemployment is at a 17-year low, and a growing number of out-ofwork Americans are finding jobs, as the labor force participation rate continues to increase.

The U.S. lowered its corporate tax rate to encourage business investment and expand job opportunities across America, and it looks to be working. Moreover, all businesses can immediately write off the costs of new equipment for five years. This provision, called "expensing," lets businesses invest more in America and boosts the pro-growth benefits of the new lower tax rates.

Tax reform is ultimately a long-run gain for the American economy, so any definitive statements about its failure or success based on preliminary assessments are likely overwrought. Economic indicators can fluctuate from month to month, as we are currently seeing in the stock market.

The long-run trend will ultimately tell the economic story. What we can say at this point is that tax reform helped America regain a competitive advantage for business investment, and businesses are indeed investing.

Tax reform, however, is not the only game in town. Congress should not lose sight of the longrun economic opportunities afforded by tax reform that could be squandered by other economic policy mistakes.

International trade, for example, is crucial for business investment and economic growth. New Chinese tariffs on American exports, and higher U.S. tariffs, could have wide-reaching negative impacts on the U.S. economy.

For tax reform to succeed, we also need to constrain federal spending to reduce pressures to raise taxes in the future. To solidify the potential benefits of tax reform, the existing tax cuts must be made permanent, which will be hard if Washington runs trillion-dollar deficits every year - a very likely scenario next year.

New lower tax rates for businesses and individuals have made America competitive again. Congress and the president should work to bolster tax reform’s success and must be wary of policies that might undermine the gains Americans are already experiencing.

Adam Michel is a Heritage Foundation columnist.

COLUMN

President Trump cutting the old Gordian knots

By Victor Davis Hanson TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

The proverbial knot of Gordium was impossible to untie. Anyone clever enough to untie it would supposedly become the king of Asia. Many princes tried; all failed.

When Alexander the Great arrived, he was challenged to unravel the impossible knot. Instead, he pulled out his sword and cut through it. Problem solved.

Donald Trump inherited an array of perennial crises when he was sworn in as president in 2017. He certainly did not possess the traditional diplomatic skills and temperament to deal with any of them.

In the last year of the Barack Obama administration, a lunatic North Korean regime purportedly had gained the ability to send nucleartipped missiles to the U.S. West Coast.

China had not only been violating trade agreements, but forcing U.S. companies to hand over their technological expertise as the price of doing business in China.

NATO may have been born to protect the European mainland, but a distant U.S. was paying an increasingly greater percentage of its budget to maintain NATO than were its direct beneficiaries.

Mexico keeps sending its impoverished citizens to the U.S., and they usually enter illegally.

That way, Mexico relieves its own social tensions, develops a proMexico expatriate community in the U.S. and gains an estimated $30 billion a year from remittances that undocumented immigrants send back home, often on the premise that American social services can free up cash for them to do so.

In the past, traditional

Mexico keeps sending its impoverished citizens to the U.S., and they usually enter illegally. That way, Mexico relieves its own social tensions, develops a pro-Mexico expatriate community in the U.S. and gains an estimated $30 billion a year from remittances that undocumented immigrants send back home, often on the premise that American social services can free up cash for them to do so.

and accepted methods failed to deal with all of these challenges. Bill Clinton’s "Agreed Framework," George W. Bush’s "six-party talks" and the "strategic patience" of the Obama administration essentially offered North Korea cash to denuclearize.

American diplomats whined to China about its unfair trade practices.

When rebuffed, they more or less shut up, convinced either that they could not do anything or that China’s growing economy would sooner or later westernize.

Europeans were used to American nagging about delinquent NATO contributions.

Diplomatic niceties usually meant that European leaders only talked nonstop about the idea that they should shoulder more of their own defense.

Mexico ignored U.S. whining that our neighbor to the south was cynically undermining U.S. immigration law.

If America protested too much, Mexico usually fell back on boilerplate charges of racism, xenophobia and nativism, despite its own tough treatment of immigrants arriving into Mexico illegally from Central America.

In other words, before

Trump arrived, the niceties of American diplomacy and statecraft had untied none of these knots.

But like Alexander, the outsider Trump was not invested in any of the accustomed protocols about untying them.

Instead, he pulled out his proverbial sword and began slashing.

If Kim Jong Un kept threatening the U.S., then Trump would threaten him back and ridicule him in the process as "Rocket Man." Meanwhile, the U.S. would beef up its own nuclear arsenal, press ahead with missile defense, warn China that its neighbors might have to nuclearize, and generally seem as threatening to Kim as he traditionally has been to others.

Trump was no more patient with China. If it continues to cheat and demand technology transfers as the price of doing business in China, then it will face tariffs on its exports and a trade war.

Trump’s position is that Chinese trade duplicity is so complex and layered that it can never be untied, only cut apart.

Trump seemingly had no patience with endless rounds of negotiations about NATO defense contributions. If frontline European nations

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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

wished to spend little to defend their own borders, why should America have to spend so much to protect such distant nations?

In Trump’s mind, if Mexico was often critical of the U.S., despite effectively open borders and billions of dollars in remittances, then he might as well give Mexico something real to be angry about, such as a border wall, enforcement of existing U.S. immigration laws, and deportations of many of those residing illegally on U.S. soil.

There are common themes to all these slashed knots. Diplomatic niceties had solved little.

American laxity was seen as naiveté to be taken advantage of, not as generous concessions to be returned in kind.

Second, American presidents and their diplomatic teams had spent their careers deeply invested in the socalled postwar rules and protocols of diplomacy.

In a nutshell, the central theme has been that the U.S. is so rich and powerful, its duty is to take repeated hits for the global order.

In light of American power, reciprocity supposedly did not matter — as if getting away with something would not lead to getting away with something even bigger.

Knot cutters may not know how to untie knots.

But by the same token, those who struggle to untie knots also do not know how to cut them.

And sometimes knots can only be cut — even as we recoil at the brash Alexanders who won’t play by traditional rules and instead dare to pull out their swords.

Victor Davis Hanson is a Tribune Content Agency columnist.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 7, 2018 |

A5

BUSINESS

Hiring slows in March, but job market still healthy

By Christopher Rugaber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a modest 103,000 jobs in March after several months of robust gains, though the government’s overall jobs report Friday suggested that the labor market remains fundamentally healthy.

The unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent, a 17-year low, for a sixth

straight month, the government said. Average hourly pay ticked up, climbing 2.7 percent compared with a year earlier.

The government also revised down its estimate of job growth for January and February by a combined 50,000. Still, over the past six months, employers have added a healthy average of 211,000 jobs a month, evidence that hiring in the United States remains strong and the economy on solid

footing in its ninth year of recovery from the Great Recession.

The pullback in hiring last month was likely payback for an explosive gain in February, economists said. Employers added 326,000 jobs that month — the largest monthly haul in two years.

“Overall, looking through the volatility, employment growth is trending higher and wage growth is starting to heat up,” said Paul Ashworth,

an economist at Capital Economics.

Last month’s modest job gain may indicate that some employers want to hire more but are struggling to find the workers they need. A separate government report last month showed that there was nearly one open job for every unemployed person, the lowest ratio on records dating back two decades. Edward Daniel, chief executive of Metropolitan Health Services,

says he has raised pay and sweetened benefits to try to fill his 740-person company’s roughly 80 open jobs. Daniel’s firm, based in Herndon, Virginia, provides services to hospitals, such as valet parking and “sitters,” who stay with elderly or mentally ill patients after they’ve been sent home from operations.

“Across the board, hiring is a challenge,” Daniel said.

His pay for sitters has

increased from $10 to $12 an hour, mostly to keep up with raises at retailers and fast food restaurants.

The company now offers a 401(k) to all employees after 30 days on the job and provides a prescription drug discount card. By June of next year, it plans to pay half its employees’ educational costs.

It’s a big change, Daniel said, from a decade ago, when the company offered no benefits at all.

Sports&Outdoors

A6 | Saturday, April 7, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: DALLAS MAVERICKS

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: UFC

MCGREGOR FACING Dirk has ankle CRIMINAL CHARGES surgery, will miss Mavs’ final games

Theodore Parisienne / TNS

UFC fighter Conor McGregor is taken from the 78th Precinct in Brooklyn on Friday. He threw a hand truck at a bus full of fighters on Thursday after a news conference for UFC 223.

UFC star’s melee caught on video ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Jae S. Lee / TNS file

Dirk Nowitzki will miss the Mavericks’ final three games this season after having left ankle surgery on Thursday.

Nowitzki to be held out for the remainder of the 2017-18 campaign

By Eddie Sefko TH E DA L LAS MORNING NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dirk Nowitzki will miss the final three games of the Mavericks’ season after undergoing minor surgery on his left ankle, a team source said.

The No. 6 scorer in NBA history had the procedure Thursday morning. It had been scheduled several days earlier.

Shortly after The News’ report on Thursday, the Mavericks confirmed the news in a release, saying Nowitzki "underwent surgical debridement of his left ankle. The surgery was performed by Dr. Eugene Curry and Dr. Daniel Worrel at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas."

Nowitzki has been remarkably durable during his 20th season, playing 77 of the first 78 games. He was listed as questionable for the Mavericks’ game in Cleveland on Sunday with a left ankle impingement, which is a problem related to bone spurs, something that Nowitzki has had periodic problems with throughout his career in both ankles. He did not accompany the team on the current road trip and missed Wednesday’s game in Orlando.

The surgery should eliminate inflammation in the ankle and ensure that the franchise icon will start his 21st season in October with healthier ankles.

It is not believed that the problem will have any impact on Nowitzki’s decision to return for a 21st season in 2018-19.

He still plans to play another season, as he has said is his plan all season.

Nowitzki has maintained since November that he wants to fulfill the second year of the contract he signed last summer, although he’s always left open the option open that retirement could still happen after this

season if his body sent him signals that it’s time. He told The Dallas Morning News as early as Dec. 14 on a road trip to Golden State that "it’s looking like" he would return for a 21st season.

"I signed up for, obviously, two years to help the franchise push through (the rebuilding process)," he said in December.

"I didn’t think we would be sitting here 10 (games) over .500. I mean, I wasn’t delusional.

"As long as my body feels fine like it has so far, with no setbacks like last year when I missed two months, I’m looking forward to hopefully fulfilling my contract."

While Nowitzki consistently has said that he intends to return, there are no guarantees he doesn’t wake up one day this summer and change his mind, as remote as that possibility seems to be at the moment.

"In life you never know about anything," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told The News. "It’s been a great 20 years. I’m praying for a 21st year, but no one knows for sure."

This has been a difficult season for all of the Mavericks with victories hard to come by.

But for Nowitzki, it’s been a very efficient year, as he averaged 12 points and shot 40.7 percent from 3-point land.

That’s the fourth-best 3-point percentage in any of his 20 seasons.

Even with the pain in his ankle, Nowitzki had 14 points in Tuesday’s win over Portland.

Nowitzki eclipsed Robert Parish and Kareem AbdulJabbar by playing his 75th game in his 20th season on Sunday. Nobody else had played more than 74 games in their 20th season in the league.

NEW YORK — UFC star Conor McGregor is facing criminal charges after a backstage melee injured two fighters and forced the removal of three bouts on Saturday night from UFC’s biggest card this year.

Video footage appears to show the promotion’s most bankable star throwing a hand truck at a bus full of fighters on Thursday after a news conference for UFC 223 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

The New York Police Department says McGregor was charged, facing three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. He’s making a court appearance on Friday. It was not immediately known if McGregor has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

UFC President Dana White said Friday he spoke to McGregor via text and the brawler said the confrontation “had to be done.”

“It was probably the worst conversation we ever had,” White told FS1’s “First Things First” on Friday morning. “We talked yesterday before he turned himself in.

“It’s not that I don’t think he understood what happened. He justified it. It was justified to him.”

White said the 29-year-old McGregor said he was sorry about the fighters who were injured, but, “this had to be

done.”

Video showed McGregor with a group of people causing chaos Thursday as they took an elevator to the loading dock at Barclays Center. He can be seen tossing trash cans and being prevented from throwing a barricade at a bus during his unannounced appearance in New York.

Michael Chiesa was sent to the hospital with injuries sustained in the attack and was forced out of his scheduled fight against Anthony Pettis.

“A decision was made by the New York State Athletic Commission to pull me from UFC 223,” Chiesa tweeted. “I’m devastated to say the least. (at) showtimepettis I hope to run this match up ASAP. June 9th in your backyard. That’s all I have to say for now. Much love.”

Flyweight Ray Borg suffered multiple cornea abrasions in the wake of the McGregor attack and his fight against Brandon Moreno was also scratched.

“The organization deems today’s disruption completely unacceptable and is currently working on the consequences that will follow,” UFC said in a statement. “Individuals involved in the incident are not welcome at tomorrow’s ceremonial weigh-in or Saturday’s event at Barclays Center.”

McGregor hasn’t fought for UFC since November 2016 and was stripped this week by UFC President Dana White of the

155-pound championship he had never defended. White also said this week he did not expect McGregor to attend Saturday’s fights.

McGregor profanely responded on Twitter and wrote, “You’ll strip me of nothing.”

McGregor last fought in a boxing match he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26, 2017.

The popular Irishman is tight with UFC 223 fighter Artem Lobov, who was involved this week in a scuffle in a hotel with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The fight between Max Holloway and Nurmagomedov was canceled Friday when Holloway didn’t make weight for the main event, a lightweight championship left vacant by McGregor.

Lobov was yanked from the card and banned from the building.

White said this week in New York that McGregor would fight again for UFC this year. McGregor’s actions now put future fights in doubt.

McGregor once held the 145 and 155-pound championships at the same time and boldly stated he wanted an ownership stake in UFC. But the trash-talking, egocentric has been out of the fight game except for his boxing dalliance with Mayweather that made him wealthy enough to never need to fight again.

McGregor and his girlfriend welcomed their first child, a son, in May 2017.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS

Cowboys add another bargain FA, sign Ealy

By Clarence E. Hill Jr. FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM

FRISCO, Texas — Free-agent defensive end Kony Ealy agreed to a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, a source confirmed.

Ealy, who has a played with the Carolina Panthers, New England Panthers and New York Jets since he was picked in the second round out of Missouri in 2014, can play both end spots and even provide some reps inside, per a source.

Ealy visited with the Cowboys on Tuesday and had interest in returning to the Jets before making a final decision on Thursday.

It’s another bargain basement free-agent move that the Cowboys hope will pay dividends with more competition along the defensive line.

Behind starters DeMarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford, the Cowboys have just Datone Jones and Taco Charlton

with any experience at defensive end.

Ealy is the sixth player the Cowboys have added since the start of free agency, joining wide receivers Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson, tackle Cameron Fleming, guard Marcus Martin and linebacker Joe Thomas.

Ealy was a 2014 second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers and traded to the New England Patriots last offseason before being cut and claimed off waivers by the New York Jets last August.

He has 15 career sacks.

The Cowboys have long been interested in Ealy. He was a predraft visitor before the 2014 draft and would have been their pick in the second round if they hadn’t traded drafted picks 47 and 78 to move up and take defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.

The Cowboys also put a waiver claim in on Ealy in August before he was awarded to the

Jets.

Ealy, 26, has had a modest career with a flash of greatness in the Panthers’ loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 when he tied the Super Bowl record and set the Panthers’ postseason record with three sacks.

He also recorded an interception and a forced fumble in the game.

Ealy became the first player in Super Bowl history to have an interception and multiple sacks.

He was the first player since 1993 to record multiple sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in a postseason game.

But instead of building on that performance, Ealy was average at best 2016. He played all 16 games, but only started six.

He recorded 32 tackles, five sacks, and one interception.

He had a sack and an interception while starting 14 of 15 games with the Jets. But he also had nine pass deflections.

Frontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 7, 2018 |

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CONSULADO MÓVIL 1 El Consulado General de México en Laredo invita a la comunidad residente en Zapata y zonas cercanas, para que acudan al Consulado Móvil que se llevará a cabo el sábado 7 de abril, en las instalaciones del Zapata County Technical and Advance Education Center, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. Se proporcionarán servicios como la expedición de matrícula consular, y pasaportes; así como expedición de copias certificadas de actas de nacimiento para personas que hayan sido registradas en México. Se requiere de cita. Comunicarse a MEXITEL al 1-877639-4835 ó visitar el sitio de Internet mexitel.sre.gob.mx.

VENTA DE PLATILLOS A BENEFICIO 1 El Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata invita a la comunidad a ayudar con la compra de platillos de pollo para contribuir con los gastos médicos del bombero Israel “Ike” Gutiérrez, el 8 de febrero de 11 a.m. a 3 p.m., en el Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata.

Costo del platillo: 7 dólares.

GENEALOGÍA 1 ¿Desea saber más sobre su historia familiar? ¿Necesita ayuda para iniciar su genealogía? Venga y reciba ayuda personalizada para investigar a sus ancestros utilizando recursos en línea. Voluntarios entrenados le ayudarán, este martes 10 de abril de 6:30 p.m a 8 p.m., en Roma Birding Center. Evento gratuito patrocinado por la Iglesia de Jesús de los Santos de los Últimos Días.

CARRERA CONTRA AUTISMO 1 Carrera/Caminata 5K para la Prevención del Autismo, el 14 de abril, a las 8 a.m., iniciando en la Corte del Condado de Zapata. Mayores informes en la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata.

VAQUERO DAY FESTIVAL 1 La Ciudad de Escobares invita al Vaquero Day Festival en su 13ava. edición, el sábado 27 de abril.

Música en vivo, cabalgata, parrilladas, y más actividades para toda la familia. Entrada gratuita. Mayores informes al 956-847-4106.

TORNEO DE CAZA 1 1er Torneo de caza de cerdo y depredadores del sur de Texas, el 28 de abril de las 10 a.m. hasta el 29 de abril a las 10 a.m. Mayores informes en Brush County Insurance Agency, 702 Hidalgo Blvd., Suite 4, en Zapata, o al teléfono 956-750-3600.

ELECCIONES PRESIDENCIALES EN MÉXICO 2018

López Obrador visita Nuevo Laredo Promete erradicar la corrupción, suspender pensiones presidenciales Por Melissa Santillana TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

NUEVO LAREDO, México— Alrededor del mediodía, una madre joven estaba alimentando a sus tres hijos con un taco que los pequeños tuvieron que compartir.

Ella estaba al lado de su hermana — quien sostenía una copia de uno de los libros del candidato Andrés Manuel López Obrador— mientras su esposo escuchaba al aspirante de izquierda a la presidencia de México, quien presentó un discurso ante alrededor de 1.000 personas durante un mitin en la ciudad fronteriza.

María Del Socorro, de 24 años, quien se mudó de Puebla a Nuevo Laredo hace poco más de un año, dijo que cree en López Obrador.

“Este es nuestro libro, lo compramos. Estamos aquí (apoyándolo) porque queremos ser mejores, queremos un país mejor.

Creemos en él”, dijo.

Esta es la tercera vez que López Obrador se postula para la presidencia de México. Su primer intento ocurrió en 2006, cuando enfrentó a Roberto Madrazo (PRI) y al ex presidente Felipe Calderón (PAN). En 2012 sus contrincantes fueron Josefina Vásquez-Mota (PAN) y el actual presidente Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI). En ambas ocasiones representó al Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD).

El candidato populista representa actualmente al partido Morena (Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional), el cual fue fundado en 2014.

Del Socorro manifestó que ha votado por Morena desde que pudo registrarse para votar. Su familia se mudó desde Puebla, un estado ubicado en el altiplano central de México, buscando oportunidades de trabajo.

“Hay mejores oportunidades para nosotros aquí.

Los salarios son mejores en Nuevo Laredo que en Puebla”, dijo.

Mientras esperaba a López Obrador en la Plaza Hidalgo, una plaza ubicada a solo seis cuadras del Puente Internacional Portal a las Américas, Ramiro Fernando Banda

1 Torneo de Softbol Batalla de las Insignias, donde particiarán bomberos y policías del Condado de Zapata, el 28 de abril, a beneficio de Israel “Ike” Gutiérrez. Cuota de entrada 150 dólares más 10 dólares para los umpires de los equipos. Mayores informes con Martha al 956-251-3075.

Julio César Aguilar / AFP/Getty Images

El candidato presidencial de México Andrés Manuel López Obrador, al centro, junto con funcionarios y candidatos locales de Morena, durante su discurso en un mitín político en Nuevo Laredo, México el jueves 4 de abril por la mañana. Las elecciones están programadas para el 1 de julio.

García, de 55 años, manifestó que él militaba en otro partido pero actualmente es el candidato de izquierda quien cumple sus expectativas, por lo que votará por Morena en las elecciones.

“Estamos buscando ayudar a Andrés Manuel López Obrador a cristalizar su proyecto, para que pueda venir un cambio positivo para todos”, dijo Banda García. “Para que todos podamos tener la oportunidad de cambiar nuestra sociedad para bien”.

Banda García, quien ha vivido en Nuevo Laredo toda su vida, dijo que todos los habitantes de la ciudad fronteriza tienen conocimiento de las dificultades que representan la seguridad pública y los problemas sociales. Él dijo que en este momento hay demasiados intereses políticos en juego, y es por eso que ciudades como Tampico y Reynosa están pasando por momentos difíciles.

“Nuevo Laredo está un poco más calmado”, dijo.

“Los que vivimos en (Nuevo) Laredo, sabemos que estábamos muy mal hace cinco años. En este momento está pacífico, no significa que estemos bien, pero estamos viviendo un periodo más tranquilo”.

Sus comentarios llegan una semana después que el gobernador interino de Nuevo León Manuel González Flores pidió a los ciudadanos del estado norteño evitar viajar cruzar a los Estados Unidos por la ciudad de Reynosa.

Mientras tanto, algunos

simpatizantes sostenían carteles con el mensaje “Soy norteña y voy a votar por ya sabes quién” “Ya sabes quién”, es una referencia a anuncios políticos pagados por Morena en 2017, que no mencionaban a López Obrador o mostraban su rostro para evitar violar las leyes electorales por iniciar su campaña antes de los periodos autorizados.

López Obrador dijo a sus seguidores que estaban viviendo un nuevo fenómeno, algo nunca visto.

“De acuerdo a las encuestas, estamos ganando en cada estado del norte de México”, dijo el candidato presidencial.

En las elecciones de 2012, el PAN ganó en Sonora, Nuevo León y Tamaulipas, mientras que en Chihuahua y Coahuila votaron por el PRI, de acuerdo al Instituto Nacional Electoral.

“Previamente, el movimiento democrático con una dimensión social solo estaba fortalecido en el sur, en el sureste, pero ahora estamos ganando en Baja California, Coahuila, Sonora, Sinaloa, Nuevo León, y ¡estamos ganando en Tamaulipas!”, dijo. “Y estoy aquí para pedirles que continúen, que no pierdan la fe, que mantengan su confianza en alto, que estén absolutamente seguros que nos les fallaremos”.

Entre otras promesas de campaña, López Obrador, prometió que pondría un fin a la corrupción con un cambio real y pacífico.

“Haremos una trans-

formación. No será como ha venido sucediendo, que está un partido en el gobierno, sale y entra otro partido y sigue lo mismo.

Eso se va acabar”, dijo.

“Ese tipo de alternancia en el poder no funciona.

Cambiaremos un régimen corrupto por uno de justicia. Esa será nuestra gran revolución pacífica, la corrupción es el cáncer que está matando a nuestro querido México”.

López Obrador también prometió que cancelaría la pensión de 5 millones de pesos que reciben mensualmente los ex presidentes mexicanos.

“No hay ley que diga que los ex presidentes necesitan que se les pague una pensión. Es solo un acuerdo que cada presidente firma cuando deja el cargo, porque saben que les va a beneficiar una vez que se hayan ido”, dijo.

“Bien, una vez que yo sea presidente no firmaré ese acuerdo, y esas pensiones se acabarán”.

“No podemos tener un gobierno rico y un pueblo pobre, todos los lujos se acabaron”, dijo, haciendo referencia al avión presidencial, el cual costó a los contribuyentes 7.500 millones de pesos, y los supuestos 54 aviones y 118 helicópteros que pertenecen a Los Pinos, la casa presidencial.

A la mitad de su discurso, López Obrador habló sobre la decisión del presidente Donald Trump que ordenó el despliegue de la Guardia Nacional a la frontera sur de los Estados Unidos.

“No creo yo que sea lo más prudente. Si lo anal-

izamos bien, nosotros pensamos que lo que más conviene en la relación de México con Estados Unidos es una relación de amistad, de respeto mutuo y de cooperación”, dijo el candidato. ¿Por qué el presidente Trump actúa así, de manera áspera, cuando se trata de nuestro país? Porque le ha funcionado electoralmente esa política antimexicana.

Porque desgraciadamente hay sectores conservadores en Estados Unidos con poca información, y él les ha despertado un sentimiento antimexicano”.

El candidato de izquierda dijo que Trump está enfocado en la reelección y esa es la razón por la que regresó a la retórica que le dio el triunfo en la elección.

“Solo así me explico que esté tratando de enviar fuerzas militares a la frontera, militarizar la frontera... Él dice que hay una gran amenaza en la frontera sur de Estados Unidos, no existe esa amenaza. Lo puedo probar”, dijo López Obrador.

“Laredo es de las ciudades con menos violencia en Estados Unidos, hay más criminalidad en Washington que en Laredo. Desgraciadamente el problema lo tenemos nosotros de este lado”.

López Obrador enfatizó que no desea una confrontación, y que intentará mantener una relación respetuosa con los Estados Unidos.

“Pero vamos a pedir que haya respeto mutuo”, dijo. “Nuestro país no va a ser piñata de ningún gobierno extranjero”.

GUARDIA NACIONAL

Mexicanos condenan militarización fronteriza ASSOCIATED PRE SS

TORNEO DE SOFTBOL

A7

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — Los políticos mexicanos hicieron a un lado sus diferencias el jueves para condenar la decisión del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump de desplegar tropas de la Guardia Nacional en la frontera común y el presidente Enrique Peña Nieto se les unió.

“Los mexicanos podemos tener diferencias entre nosotros, y más

aún en tiempos de elecciones, pero estaremos siempre unidos en la defensa de la dignidad y la soberanía de nuestro país”, manifestó Peña Nieto en un video divulgado a través de Twitter.

“Independientemente de sus naturales diferencias, todos (los candidatos) coincidieron en rechazar medidas contrarias a una buena vecindad”.

El mandatario mencionó a los cuatro candidatos, entre ellos el izquierdista y líder en las en-

cuestas Andrés Manuel López Obrador —a quien criticó en el pasado por querer echar por tierra algunas de las reformas estructurales aprobadas durante su gobierno.

López Obrador declaró el miércoles que no aceptaría “el uso de la fuerza, la militarización de la frontera”.

El presidente, por su parte, se dirigió de forma directa a su homólogo estadounidense.

“Si sus recientes declaraciones derivan de una

frustración por asuntos de política interna, de sus leyes o de su Congreso, diríjase a ellos, no a los mexicanos. No vamos a permitir que la retórica negativa defina nuestras acciones”.

El Senado mexicano aprobó el miércoles una resolución donde solicita suspender la cooperación con Estados Unidos en materia de inmigración ilegal y tráfico de drogas, “en tanto el presidente Donald Trump no se conduzca con la civilidad

y el respeto que el pueblo de México merece”.

En la frontera, el rechazo a la medida era unánime.

“Nos parece que esta actitud de militarizar la frontera es una agresión más a México que no lo merecemos”, dijo Ramón Galindo, representante del gobernador en Ciudad Juárez, en la frontera con El Paso, Texas. El funcionario recordó, además, que nada de eso cambiará la realidad fronteriza.

A8 | Saturday, April 7, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL

Stocks dive as US proposes more China tariffs

By Marley Jay A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — Another increase in trade tensions has stocks falling sharply Friday as the U.S. considers an even larger set of tariffs on imports from China and the two countries exchange pointed statements. Technology companies and banks are taking some of the worst losses.

Stocks have changed direction again and again this week as investors tried to get a sense of whether a trade dispute between the two nations will escalate, an outcome that could have major consequences for the global economy. The market didn’t get any help from a March jobs report that was weaker than expected.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell dropped 581 points, or 2.4 percent, to 23,916 as of 2:15 p.m.

Eastern time. Earlier it fell as much as 620 points.

The S&P 500, which many index funds track, lost 53 points, or 2 percent, to 2,608. The Nasdaq composite slid 135 points, or 1.9 percent, to 6,940.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks dipped 29 points, or 1.9 percent, to 1,513.

The Dow average,

which contains numerous multinational companies including industrial powerhouses Boeing and Caterpillar, has swung dramatically this week, with about 1,300 points separating its highest and lowest marks. It fell as much as 758 points Monday, then recovered all of those losses, and late Thursday it was up as much as 519 points for the week. It’s down 0.7 percent for the week.

The administration spent the past few days reassuring investors that it’s not rushing into a trade war, and China’s government has done the same. But late Thursday, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Trade Representative to consider placing tariffs on $100 billion in duties on Chinese imports. China said it would “counterattack with great strength” if he that happens.

Stocks dipped further after Trump criticized the World Trade Organization on Twitter Friday morning.

At the start of the week, the U.S. announced plans to put tariffs on $50 billion in goods imported from China, and the Chinese government responded with measures of equal size. Stocks plunged on Monday, but they rallied

over the next few days as officials from both countries said they were open to talks and that the tariffs might never go into effect.

With administration officials sounding conciliatory one day and more hostile the next and the president always quick to fire off another tweet, investors simply don’t know what the U.S. wants to achieve, said Katie Nixon, chief investment officer for Northern Trust Wealth Management.

“The process itself seems to be quite chaotic,” she said. “We’re not quite sure what the long term strategy is.”

Still, she said businesses support the idea of making changes in America’s trade relationship with China. But even though investors are optimistic about the state of the global economy and company profits continue to grow, Nixon said the administration is creating the thing investors hate the most: uncertainty.

Technology companies make a lot of their sales in Asia and they have struggled as Wall Street worries about a slowdown in global economic growth.

Optimism about the world economy has helped many tech companies make huge gains in the last year.

Apple skidded $3.46, or

2 percent, to $169.34 and Cisco Systems declined 98 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $40.84. PayPal dipped $2.63, or 3.4 percent, to $74.32.

Industrial companies might face the worst pain from tariffs, as they could find themselves dealing with higher costs for components imported into the U.S. while the duties on their goods in China harm their sales.

Caterpillar, a construction equipment maker, shed $584, or 3.9 percent, to $142.29 while farm equipment company Deere sank $5.56, or 3.7 percent, to $145.79. Aerospace giant Boeing dipped $12.20, or 3.6 percent, to $324.20.

Health care companies also declined. Johnson & Johnson sank $2.99, or 2.3

percent, to $127.72 and health insurer UnitedHealth dropped $59, or 2.6 percent, to $223.18.

Employers added 103,000 jobs in March, which is weaker than the last few months. The Labor Department also said fewer jobs were added in January and February that it initially estimated. The unemployment rate remained low and the job market looks fundamentally healthy, but it’s possible some employers are struggling to find workers.

Benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.17, or 1.8 percent, to $62.37 a barrel in New York while Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost 92 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $67.41 per barrel in London. Oil prices have also

been volatile this week, as investors wonder if an increase in trade tensions will reduce demand for oil by slowing down the global economy.

Bond prices rose, sending yields lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.78 percent from 2.83 percent. The lower yields mean banks can’t make as much money from lending, and that send bank stocks lower.

JPMorgan Chase fell $3.23, or 2.9 percent, to $108.65 and BB&T lost $1.89, or 3.6 percent, to $51.

Gold rose $7.60 to $1,336.10 an ounce. Silver edged up 1 cent to $16.36 an ounce. Copper fell 2 cents to $3.06 a pound.

The dollar fell to 106.86 yen from 107.12 yen. The euro rose to $1.2287 from $1.2256.