Page 12 - Aruba Today

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 26 OctOber 2018
Public will decide future of Mexico's $13 billion airport

By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN port site about 10 miles (16
Associated Press kilometers) away.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Wearing a cream-colored
future of Mexico City's new cowboy hat and surround-
airport, already about a ed by residents of commu-
third completed, comes nities near the new airport,
down to a public vote this Javier Jimenez Espriu said
week in a political high- he was gathering informa-
wire act by the country's tion and helping to inform
president-elect that could citizens about the project
shut down Mexico's largest and its impact.
infrastructure project in re- His talk was interrupted by
cent memory. Felipe Alvarez Hernandez,
President-elect Andres a member of Peoples in
Manuel Lopez Obrador Defense of the Earth Front,
promised to let the people a group that has been
decide the fate of the $13 fighting proposed airports
billion airport designed in the area for nearly two
in collaboration with cel- decades.
ebrated architect Norman This Oct. 17, 2018 photo, a shows the construction of new airport in Texcoco, Mexico. "If the (vote) is going to
Foster. Lopez Obrador had Associated Press say that it should continue,
earlier said he would can- then you are violating our
cel it if elected, his victory runways. And supporters fall for corrupt interests. He won 53 percent of the rights with the query," Al-
being a referendum in it- point to a study by U.S. Last week, he said the sec- votes in July's election and varez said, holding his ma-
self. corporation Mitre showing ond option could save takes office Dec. 1. chete aloft.
Over four days beginning that while the alternative $5 billion. He hasn't said, "He understands very well Jimenez asked the crowd
Thursday, citizens will cast plan is technically feasible, though, what will be done where his strength lies," she what they wanted.
ballots asking whether to it presents important logisti- with the skeletal remains of said. "That it's cancelled, that's
continue with the new air- cal problems and overall is new airport if it loses. About Still, Acuna believes Lopez all," Alvarez said.
port or update Mexico unviable. $6 billion has already been Obrador is playing a bit of A previous attempt to build
City's existing one and Opponents counter that poured into the site north- a "cat and mouse" game a replacement Mexico
another airport two hours not only is the new airport east of Mexico City. trying to pressure Mexico's City airport in San Salvador
away in Toluca, while build- a potential sinkhole of cor- "Corruption is over, influ- business elite into footing Atenco in 2002 was can-
ing two new runways at a ruption, but it would be ence is over, impunity is the bill for the airport. celed due to local opposi-
military base that would be an environmental disaster, over," Lopez Obrador said It could be working. On tion.
converted to commercial threatening a decades-old in a recorded message this Tuesday, current tourism In San Nicolas Tlaminca,
use. effort to restore the lakes month. "We're going to re- minister, Enrique de la Ma- where Alvarez was talking,
Supporters of the new air- that originally covered the solve this issue in the way drid, said on a local radio residents worry the mud
port say it is needed be- valley in which the capi- that best suits Mexico, the show the new airport is being dumped is toxic
cause Mexico City's Benito tal is located. Locals also national interest, and what such a good business that and will contaminate their
Juarez International Airport claim they were not con- the people decide." it could be paid for without ground water. Opponents
handles more traffic than its sulted about the project. Ivonne Acuna Murillo, a public funds. frame the decision as: wa-
designed capacity and a Lopez Obrador has said professor in the political On a recent morning, Lo- ter or airport. Residents of
solution is urgently needed he wants to remain impar- science department at pez Obrador's pick for other nearby towns say the
to satisfy growing demand. tial, but he and his Cabinet Iberoamericana University transportation minister airport project requires so
Surrounded by densely picks consistently make in Mexico City, said Lopez stood above an open pit much basalt and another
packed residential neigh- the case against the new Obrador has continually mine where trucks were reddish volcanic rock that
borhoods, the old airport airport, characterizing it as said he wants to govern dumping loads of muddy mines are altering their
has no room to add new too expensive and a wind- with and for the people. sediment from the new air- landscape.q