Facebook post claims renovations in Juarez only mask problems ahead of the Pope’s visit
As the city of Juarez prepares to welcome Pope Francis on February 17th, the people of Juarezare set to welcome the world into their hometown. It’s a monumental task with the city undergoing major renovations. Streets along the Pope’s scheduled route through Juarez are being repaved and buildings and homes along that route were given a freshcoat of paint. A new coat of color can also be found at the CERESO Prison and even the seminary where Pope Francis willhave lunch and rest. It’s that sudden makeover that’s notsitting well with some Borderland residents, like Gustavo De La Rosa, who calls it “a shame.”
ABC-7 found De La Rosa’s post on Facebook while trying to gauge how Juarez residents really feel about the upcoming Papal visit.In his post, De La Rosa says “The decrease in violence does not mean more security, much less improvement in the quality of life. The distances between homes, work andrecreation areas are huge, and public transport is another salient shame. The presumptuous penal system has tens of thousands of innocent people detained without evidence because here, the law is shameful.”
De La Rosa even has a lengthy and frank message for Pope Francis: “Although the Juarenzes, migrants and workers are the soul of the region, the city is a disaster. There are 100,000 abandoned houses and hotels and other businesses tripling prices for your visit. Juarez remains the property of 20 families who rent it, consuming the lives of 250-thousandemployees. These workers get aobut 5 Euros per day, and produce goods worth millions. What a shame! Juarenzes with supportive families got together several wages they canbarely live on just to see the Pope, all while getting stabbed in the back by their own people.”
ABC-7 posted a question on thekvia.com Facebook page asking if viewers agree with De La Rosa’s claim the City of Juarez is just masking its real problems. We got a variety of responses. Ruben told us, “It’s amazing how Mexico can spend money
to make everything nice for the Pope but why don’t they just do it for the people everyday?” On the other hand, we also received comments from people like Barbara who says, “If ittook the Pope to spruce up the city, to put smiles on peoples faces, so be it.”
