Mexico Hit by Devastating Earthquake—Again

September 19, 2017 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

September 19—Less than two weeks after a deadly earthquake hit Mexico, affecting especially the southwestern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, another powerful quake rocked this country. Today’s earthquake hit especially hard in Mexico City and the surrounding states, in particular Morelos and Puebla. Dozens of buildings collapsed in Mexico City. By Tuesday evening, the number of people who died was reported to be 130. Stay tuned to revcom.us for more.

Today was also the anniversary of the catastrophic 1985 Mexico City earthquake. Revcom.us received this letter from a reader:

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Not again. I didn’t just watch multistory buildings just collapse in a pile of rubble in Mexico City, AGAIN, on the 32nd anniversary of the 8+ magnitude quake that killed at least 25,000 people on September 19, 1985.

¿What the fuck, cabrones? After 1985, how many times did I hear that building codes would now be strictly enforced? That the corruption which allowed buildings to be hastily constructed with the cheapest of materials would be prosecuted? That there would be no more blind eye turned when old inadequate buildings were filled with heavy equipment and turned into garment factories and sweatshops where thousands were crushed?

Nothing has changed. Nothing can change because this is capitalism. Because U.S. imperialism has countries like Mexico in a death grip of debt, with the all-too-willing assistance of their Mexican junior counterparts.

Oh, but here’s something new and different. Donald Trump has tweeted, “God bless the people of Mexico City. We are with you and will be there for you.”

¿Qué pasó? Did an adviser tell you it looked bad that you neglected to express condolences for the 8.1 quake that hit Oaxaca and Chiapas two weeks ago? Does “we are with you” mean that you are going to halt massive raids and deportations of Mexicans who are supporting families and communities throughout the devastated south of Mexico? Does “being there” mean that millions of U.S. government dollars you are already spending to design and study (not to mention billions to actually build) your stupid fucking wall of hate, will now be sent to Mexico for urgent reconstruction? Or, when you warned (“jokingly”?!) president Peña Nieto that if Mexico couldn’t handle the bad narco hombres, U.S. would send troops, you really meant you were sending armies of volunteers to help dig out earthquake victims, like hundreds of impoverished Central American immigrants are doing right now in Oaxaca?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Hey @realDonaldTrump and all your @realfascist haters, the last thing the earthquake victims in Mexico need is for you to be “with them” at this time, or ever. You all might want to worry about your own stability. This revolution can’t wait.

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