Harvestofanger ED McCAUGHAN PETERBAIRD (*) CULIACAN, MEXICO, AUGUST 19 The rich coastal valleys of Northwest Mexico-farmed by U.S. agribusiness giants in partnership with Mexican landowners to produce half the fresh winter vegetables consumed annually in the U.S.-have turned into fever-pitched blood-stained battle grounds. · On one side are thousands of landless farm workers, the dispossessed products of an agricultural revolution, who have occupied more than 60,000 acres of land throughout Mexico that they claim are rightfully theirs. Thelr target; the powerful agribusiness interests who contrai the more than S100-million-a-year Mexican vegetable export industry. So far most of the « invaders ", armed only with anci'ent 30-30s dating from the Mexican revolution, have staunchly stood their ground despite a mounting deàth toll. More than 100 have been killed by soldiers, police or ranchers in the past year. Their desperation is rooted in the ever-increasing centralization of modern agriculture-with small farmers being replaced by corporate giants-that now also dominates rural America. ln bring modern corporate farming to Mexico, California and Arizona companies have helped tranform the states of Sinaloa r•J The autors have recently comp/eted a 32 pg. study entlt/ed "Harvest of Anger - Agrolmperlaflsm ln Mexlcos Nortfiwest", Vol. X, No: 6, JulyAugust 1976 of NACLA's Latin America & Empire Report. 91
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTExMDY2NQ==