World News
Jesuits: Drought causing widespread hunger among Mexico's Tarahumara
David Agren
Catholic News Service
Mexico City
Jesuits working in Mexico's remote Copper Canyon in Chihuahua state have warned
of widespread hunger among the indigenous Tarahumara, who have been negatively
impacted by drought conditions considered to be the worst in more than 70 years.
The St. Ignatius of Loyola Foundation began a campaign Jan. 16 to raise money
to buy corn, a staple in regional diets and a crop unable to be grown in an area
that has received only 25 percent of its normal precipitation in 2011. The foundation
estimated that 60,000 Tarahumara were impacted and 90 percent of the local bean
crop had failed.
Mexico is experiencing drought in seven northern states, where the federal government
says a lack of rain has caused the driest conditions in 71 years and negatively
impacted 2.5 million residents.
The drought has hit the Tarahumara especially hard as the indigenous group inhabits
an impoverished region of rugged natural beauty in the Sierra Madre that has
attracted tourists and adventure seekers, but remains underdeveloped, impoverished
and exploited by illegal logging and drug runners in recent decades.
Mexicans responded with generosity and outrage after an erroneous story was broadcast
saying the Tarahumara were committing suicide after being unable to find food.
Jesuit Father Javier Avila said the suicide stories were false, but he described
the situation as dire.
"The drought this year in the sierra is atypical ... there wasn't rain and
now, in the winter, there wasn't snow," Father Avila told Catholic News
Service.
He estimated the food produced in the region would run out during February, "When
the problem will be worse."
The Jesuits, who have served the Copper Canyon for decades, are working
with the Chihuahua business community to deliver relief through its long‑established
networks.
The federal government said in a Jan. 17 press release it was sending in food
and blankets and opening shelters to the area.
Father Avila said the government is welcome to join the relief efforts, but he
said of past state efforts: "They'll come in and give things away. We disagree
with this because it creates dependence." He added that disaster relief
and social programs often are used for partisan political purposes in Mexico.
"We want to create a dialogue, get to know the problems ... to solve them," he
said.