El Barzón
Encyclopedia
El Barzón is a movement of low and low-middle class private business and farming interests in Mexico
.
A Barzón, in terms of agriculture, is the yoke
-ring to which a rope or chain is attached to pull a farm plow; a hitch-ring, connecting-ring, a pull-ring. The name comes from a Mexican revolutionary song that speaks about injustice in the fields. Their motto is: "Debo, no niego, pago lo justo" ("I owe, I don't deny it, I'll pay what is fair").
Members of El Barzón were responsible for massive amounts of debt denominated in dollars; which they were expected to pay back with a peso worth half of its previous value. Their debts would amount to ten times the loan they had originally taken out, and El Barzón refers to the massive social movement where elements of the traditionally quiet middle class rose up and refused to pay the monstrous sums of money that were expected of them by lending institutions. It was an accepted public venting of frustrations and helped to set up the PRI's demise in the 2000 presidential elections.
El Barzón is a decentralized
movement, and there were actually two main organizations, one that kept a pro-PRI stance and another that took a more leftist approach, siding with the PRD. There were several state-wide organizations where debtors would receive legal and group support in exchange for a fee. Additionally the group organized several sui-generis protest manifestations against liberal economic policy, including such acts as naked protests and sewing their eyes shut publicly. In one famous act Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar, leader of El Barzón A.C. and congressman, entered the Mexican Congress riding a horse.
One of the groups consisted of long time members and supporters of the ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) after the devaluation in December 1994
of the mexican peso. This devaluation occurred during the Zedillo administration, but the administration blamed the outgoing President Salinas
).
had unprecedent economic growth. Analysts even suggested that the country was in the verge of becoming a first-world country. In December Carlos Salinas de Gortari left the presidency and was campaigning to become the leader of the World Trade Organization
. At the start of the term of President Ernesto Zedillo, the event known as the December mistake
started the 1994 economic crisis where the peso suffered a devaluation from 3 to 6 pesos a dollar.
Many Mexican businesses, during the last years had acquired debts in dollars, or depended heavily on supplies from the United States. Their debt was increased automatically, worsened by the contingency measures that raised interest rates drastically. Many businesses were forced to close and there were several well-publicized suicides.
In this context, several middle-class businessmen, many from agricultural backgrounds, started to make uncoordinated protests starting mainly in northern states such as Chihuahua and Sonora
. From these movements some leaders started to organize the seeds of El Barzón. In Zacatecas
, Manuel Ortega González, Juan José Quirino Salas and Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar started a movement that started protests such as partial road blocks using farm equipment. El Barzón has an institutional and juridical step the 13th of october of 1994, in Monterrey
, N. L.
. In that city, the heart of the neoliberalism
in México, with Liliana Flores Benavides, Manuel Ortega González, Juan José Quirino Salas and Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar designed the strategy of these unique social movement in the world.
The leaders of the movement were given prison sentences but were later released. Juan Quirino then became a national leader that created and organized Unión Nacional de Productores Agropecuarios, Comerciantes, Industriales y Prestadores de Servicios El Barzón A.C. in the whole country.
The movement grew rapidly and soon every state had at least one representation. At that time it was a common banking practice to hire legal advisors who specialized in credit recovery. A frequent tactic was to write intimidating legal letters or place phone calls that threatened recipients with jail, property seizing and other legal measures to pressure and force people to pay. El Barzón provided legal counseling to advise debtors on how to defend their property and renegotiate their debts in better terms.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
A Barzón, in terms of agriculture, is the yoke
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
-ring to which a rope or chain is attached to pull a farm plow; a hitch-ring, connecting-ring, a pull-ring. The name comes from a Mexican revolutionary song that speaks about injustice in the fields. Their motto is: "Debo, no niego, pago lo justo" ("I owe, I don't deny it, I'll pay what is fair").
Members of El Barzón were responsible for massive amounts of debt denominated in dollars; which they were expected to pay back with a peso worth half of its previous value. Their debts would amount to ten times the loan they had originally taken out, and El Barzón refers to the massive social movement where elements of the traditionally quiet middle class rose up and refused to pay the monstrous sums of money that were expected of them by lending institutions. It was an accepted public venting of frustrations and helped to set up the PRI's demise in the 2000 presidential elections.
El Barzón is a decentralized
Decentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
movement, and there were actually two main organizations, one that kept a pro-PRI stance and another that took a more leftist approach, siding with the PRD. There were several state-wide organizations where debtors would receive legal and group support in exchange for a fee. Additionally the group organized several sui-generis protest manifestations against liberal economic policy, including such acts as naked protests and sewing their eyes shut publicly. In one famous act Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar, leader of El Barzón A.C. and congressman, entered the Mexican Congress riding a horse.
One of the groups consisted of long time members and supporters of the ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) after the devaluation in December 1994
1994 economic crisis in Mexico
The 1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico, widely known as the Mexican peso crisis, was caused by the sudden devaluation of the Mexican peso in December 1994....
of the mexican peso. This devaluation occurred during the Zedillo administration, but the administration blamed the outgoing President Salinas
Carlos Salinas
Carlos Salinas de Gortari is a Mexican economist and politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Earlier in his career he worked in the Budget Secretariat all the way up to Secretary...
).
History
In 1994, MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
had unprecedent economic growth. Analysts even suggested that the country was in the verge of becoming a first-world country. In December Carlos Salinas de Gortari left the presidency and was campaigning to become the leader of the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
. At the start of the term of President Ernesto Zedillo, the event known as the December mistake
1994 economic crisis in Mexico
The 1994 Economic Crisis in Mexico, widely known as the Mexican peso crisis, was caused by the sudden devaluation of the Mexican peso in December 1994....
started the 1994 economic crisis where the peso suffered a devaluation from 3 to 6 pesos a dollar.
Many Mexican businesses, during the last years had acquired debts in dollars, or depended heavily on supplies from the United States. Their debt was increased automatically, worsened by the contingency measures that raised interest rates drastically. Many businesses were forced to close and there were several well-publicized suicides.
In this context, several middle-class businessmen, many from agricultural backgrounds, started to make uncoordinated protests starting mainly in northern states such as Chihuahua and Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
. From these movements some leaders started to organize the seeds of El Barzón. In Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
, Manuel Ortega González, Juan José Quirino Salas and Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar started a movement that started protests such as partial road blocks using farm equipment. El Barzón has an institutional and juridical step the 13th of october of 1994, in Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, N. L.
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. In that city, the heart of the neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
in México, with Liliana Flores Benavides, Manuel Ortega González, Juan José Quirino Salas and Alfonso Ramírez Cuéllar designed the strategy of these unique social movement in the world.
The leaders of the movement were given prison sentences but were later released. Juan Quirino then became a national leader that created and organized Unión Nacional de Productores Agropecuarios, Comerciantes, Industriales y Prestadores de Servicios El Barzón A.C. in the whole country.
The movement grew rapidly and soon every state had at least one representation. At that time it was a common banking practice to hire legal advisors who specialized in credit recovery. A frequent tactic was to write intimidating legal letters or place phone calls that threatened recipients with jail, property seizing and other legal measures to pressure and force people to pay. El Barzón provided legal counseling to advise debtors on how to defend their property and renegotiate their debts in better terms.