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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1983)
Thursday, April 1,1983/The Battalion/Page 3B exican grocery raid motives debated United Press International AREZ, Mexico — The ing-swift raid on El Paso ry shoppers by the Mex- Customs last week has cre- raore controversy on the Serthan Pancho Villa’s 1916 ion Columbus, N.M. iustoms officials stopped ev- [Utomobile trying to return Paso and confiscated :eries. At the end of one activities, El Paso shoppers been relieved of some 10 of food. he officials then separated goods, with perishables edly destined for agencies work with the poor and the perishables set aside for a ire auction. in the process, long lines de- ped at the international ges, adding to the usual y influx of visitors during (Easter holidays. Some El Paso shoppers, ting on their usual weekly ery order, were seen in tears abridges. Others reacted in ■erand shouted obscenities at e Customs officials as they im ® edoff, tires squealing and re- dying never to return. dfiEti lrhe confiscation of groceries Inot conducted in any other I along the 1,920-mile U.S./ border. he grocery raid apparently I a wildcat venture, with no plan for a continued effort on the part of the Mexican federal government. On Thursday, it was business as usual, except for a decreased number of tourists who were discouraged by the long lines and frightened at the thought of having goods confiscated at the bridges. By Friday and Saturday, shoppers with small amounts of groceries in the trunks of their cars crossed into El Paso with no hassles from Mexican author ities. Historians say revenge was the main motive for Villa’s ac tion 67 years ago. But Mexico watchers have yet to determine a reason why the federal customs service confiscated groceries from El Paso shoppers trying to get back home. The customs officials said American shoppers, taking advantage of Mexico’s devalued E eso, have stripped supermar- ets in Juarez of basic food items and created shortages for Mex ican citizens who are having a hard enough time to survive. Juarez business leaders don’t agree with the customs inspec tors. They claim there is ample food for everyone, including El Paso tourists who spend needed dollars in Juarez and help Mex ico with its ailing balance-of- payments problems. The economies of El Paso and J uarez — as well as other border cities from Brownsville and Matamoros to Tijuana and San Diego — have been so intimately entwined for so long that rash, radical actions such as the groc ery raid, only serve to annoy and produce no positive results. Ironically, the most opposi tion to the Mexican customs ac tion is not from Americans. Juarez Chamber of Com merce president Artemio Jaime Salazar predicts the grocery raid will cost commercial firms hun dreds of thousands of dollars in lost trade, not to mention the negative effects on tourism. Antonio Payan Porras, a well- known Juarez lawyer, accused the customs officials of violating the Mexican constitution by con fiscating goods without allowing the tourists to return to the stores where the goods were purchased and not compensat ing the owners. He demanded the customs inventory all confis cated items. A spokesman for the right- wing opposition party, Partido Accion Nacional (PAN), Jesus Hernandez, called the action a raid against the business com munity and regaled the customs for harassing friendly El Paso housewives instead of catching the real enemies of Mexico, the professional smugglers. The chief of the Juarez Cus toms, Adolfo Paredes Doming uez, however, has ignored the massive protests from newspap ers and radio and television sta tions in Juarez and said the cus toms will continue cracking down on grocery shoppers until Juarez food shortages are over. The real culprit is the Mex ican peso. Devalued at 150 against the dollar, border shoppers are hav ing a field day. Good quality meat, including juicy steaks, are now selling in Juarez for the equivalent of ab out $1 a pound. Mexicans, whose minimum wage is about $3 a day for those lucky enough to be employed, can’t afford to pay that much and have learned to live without meat in their diet. Affluent Mexicans and El Paso shoppers have taken up the slack and kept Juarez super markets from going broke. Meat isn’t the only bargain. With the devalued peso, sugar now sells for about 15 cents a pound. Top quality coffee can be purchased for about 50 cents a pound and a loaf of whole wheat bread sells for less than 30 cents while a quart of milk goes for about 15 cents. Budget-conscious El Paso shoppers, taking advantage of the devalued peso, have been cutting grocery bills by two- thirds. Caffeine affects heart’s hythm, research shows MAKE A “MAJOR” DECISION Freshman-Sophomore Conference WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 #158 A&A BUILDING 7:30 P.M. presented by business student council DIETING? Even though we do not prescribe diets, we make it possible for many to enjoy a nutritious meal while they follow their doctor's orders. You will be delighted with the wide selection of low calorie, sugar free and fat free foods in the Souper Salad Area, Sbisa Dining Center Basement. OPEN Monday through Friday 10:45 AM-1:45 PM QUALITY FIRST BUY, SELL.TRADE Oft ftENT THROUGH THt I 'r M-H I v ‘." United Press International jOSTON — Two cups of cof- jcontain enough caffeine to ise a change in the heart’s hm that can be dangerous tiin people with no history of jormal heartbeats, new re- ch shows. he study of 19 people with without a history of heart igularities found caffeine ted a mild to moderate hm change in all but two e. Two patients experi- :d a severe heartbeat change it could be fatal, researchers hio State University said. The findings will be pub- d today in the New England nal of Medicine, he study showed a moder- change in the heart rhythm 1 It lasted one to five minutes in tpatients who reported a caf- nesensitivity, including palpi- )ons, dizziness or a light- aded feeling after drinking a einated beverage. There is absolutely a cause- effect relationship here,” dDr. Stephen F. Schaal, who the Ohio State study. “Caf- edoes, in fact, have an effect the electrical system of the rt.” he patients drank two cups toffee or received an injection n equivalent amount of caf- e, but researchers said nking tea or soft drinks con ning caffeine could produce ilar results. Tie rhythm irregularities — al flutter or atrial fibrillation — were brief and relatively be nign in all but two patients and could cause light-headedness or fatigue, said Schaal. Two patients with a history of heart irregularities developed a condition called ventricular tachychardia, a very rapid beat ing of the heart ventricles, after taking the caffeine. “This is a rhythm change that can cause sudden death,” said Schaal. 'e pa of i tory of rhythm disturbances associated with caffeine all had arrhythmias — the name for a variety of heartbeat irregular ities — after taking caffeine, the researchers wrote. “Caffeine’s effects are much more profound if a person has a history of difficulty with the drug,” said Schaal. “In most inst ances, the rhythm problems worsened after caffeine.” 500 OFF of your choice: ANY SUB on the Menu! | Limit 3 per coupon expires 4/6/83 j Coupon not valid with any other coupon or special. 846-6428 329 University — Northgate lYeie — From Your NORTHGATE PIZZA HUT Midnight, Moonlight Munchout, Madness 501 UNIVERSITY 260 9060 Pizza By The Slice Now on Thursday Night 11 p.m.-l a.m. SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE 59C THIN .69C PAN Participating Cards: 1. Anytime 2. Quicksilver 3. Boss Banker 4. Southwest Banking Card PICK A CARD. ANY CARD. AND GET CASH AT ANY TELLER 2. Now you don’t have to have a Teller 2 card to enjoy Teller 2 convenience. 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