LOS PAPERS DE El ÁGUILA

Aug. 5th 2023

On July 1st La Migra pulled out several floating dead bodies - including an infant child - from the Rio Bravo on the stretch of river in Eagle Pass, Tejas —--days later — it didnt stop the Republican Governor of Texas from putting in 1000 feet of Concertina wire and large rotating buoys with weighted nets positioned in the middle of the Rio Bravo —-

3 days ago – aug 3rd —they found some more dead bodies - one was tangled in the large orange buoy barrier that sits in the middle of the river como un big snake

Yesterday I drove down to Eagle Pass with my necio rebel poet ex-politico amigo Jesse Ayala— he drove - i rode shotgun–— I ain't gonna lie —-baaaaad driver - haha (love you hermano!)— but good heart – –

The plan was to leave by 9am -  but i had to get some tacos with Olivia - its our everyday morning thing—- jesse showed up around 10ish — we all chit-chatted in Olivia’s painting studio for a bit then we loaded up and got on the highway —-- 

 It took us a little over 2 hours to get to El Aguila – (i had texted my comadre Karina Alderete - a native to Eagle Pass—-asking what the slang term for Eagle Pass was —- “El Aguila” is what she responded with — such a badass name for that area of the continent— she also used “Eeee-gle Paaas” — which of course is just even more badass—--ha  ) —- about a couple miles before we got into Eagle Pass proper - we passed up a La Migra checkpoint - they were only stopping folks leaving EP - so we were good — but were still were scanned and photographed as we zoomed by —- it was a fairly small checkpoint- nonetheless i still tense up when i'm encountered with La Migra —-- not cool

As we drove into El Aguila — we were greeted with probs the largest Mexican flag to ever fly over the earth - we could see the large fabric slowly folding and unwrapping over the Rio Bravo ---in the land of El Aguila —----- and the snake

We drove straight to Shelby Park —this is city-owned public park under the EP international bridge - the day after the forth of july the rinches closed the park and set up a base for Operation Lone Star - they set up barriers using razor sharp concertina wire - btw not barbed wire—- razor - as in you touch and it slices into the skin like butter —- and to add more things to this over boiling bad tasting pinche pot of caldo is that the deadly wire was made by Texas prisoners in a unit in East Texas —- they think of everything

This piece of tierra has a lot of history - as we were looking for parking -my comadre Karina sent us a screenshot photo from the 1980s of this area spotted with cardboard shelled wigwam mounds - the photo showed the village of the Kickapoo people that was actually on both sides of the river —- they ignored the “border”——-then of course i started an onslaught of google enquires on my phone —- and then i went into this super fast Kickapoo historical worm hole —- in fact- i still feel like im in that wormhole right now —--as i write this —-

There were no signs of the Kickapoo nation at Shelby Park — just a couple of soccer goal posts, a shit load of shipping containers, stacked rows of concertina wire, buzzing drones, and a nice helpin’ of  DPS troopers - it was a full blown militarized zone — in fact the whole town of El Aguila felt like a militarized zone —- at first i felt like everyone seemed to be walking around like zombies —-- but then that quickly shifted to a feeling like this town was ready to blow —- the people here are not happy —

after we checked out the park - we went on a quick stroll through the downtown area - first stop was the cowboy apparel store 2 blocks away from Greg Abbott’s white supremacy project —- i've been needing another straw cowboy hat –one that had a flatter brim - and i felt it in my bones that i would find the perfect hat in the land of the eagle— sure enough i did – had it steamed con new band —nombre shut up —--— Jesse bought this pretty rowdy cowboy belt with metal medallions, black leather, and turquoise —he said it looked like something jim morrison would wear — and that it would be perfect for his upcoming extravagant writer's  sabbatical at the Chelsea Hotel in Nueva York —-— this vato is a rare animal —-

 —-- the streets did not have a lot of people – but the buildings were a great sampling of tex mex rasquache architecture - with the 100 degree sol fighting with the shade we started to notice a rhythmic beat of plastic flower vendors and pinche plastic pulga stuff from China —- i bought some fake flowers for a possible memorial visit —- jesse bought some creepy La Santa Muerte candles —-—classic jesse—---- we also noticed 2 patrol cars slowly driving around the small downtown streets — they were not the usual black DPS SUVs or the white con green stripe Migra SUVs or even the white con blue text Homeland security SUVs or the sap green Texas National Guard clunkers—---they were brown con yellowish light tan —-hot rod things— like one those old school chocolate and vanilla pudding pops but with nitro—---- we got a closer look at one of them —-jesse called it —-- they were Florida state troopers —courtesy of the governor of Florida Mr. Ron Desantis - 

I had been working to get some contacts of gente that were doing humanitarian work on the ground in Eagle Pass before i came over - i eventually i was connected to the group that essentially took over city hall 2 days ago — The Eagle Pass Border Coalition – they were the people who kicked Greg out from Shelby Park - apparently the mayor signed off on some trickery to allow Greg and his goons to militarize the park by the Rio Bravo — but the gente changed that real quick —-- this place might be a vortex—- i mean Crystal City is just down the road —and Uvalde is just up the Nueces River— and if you read up on your Texas history - this region has always been like a hot comal with you trying to flip those tortillas without burning your fingertips —--you better pay attention or you'll burn the tortillas— and no one likes burnt tortillas - well —unless your like that one tio everyone has - who likes them pero he probably has like some sort of mineral deficiency so he doesn't mind gettin’ the crunchy ones

As we found Jesse’s car with a  blinking parking meter - i got a text from Alex Flores from the Eagle Pass Border Coalition - he was outta town pero he got us in contact with one of its members —

--- Mr. Jesse Fuentes—--

Now —-if your payin’ attention — you might be hearing that name alot more – Mr.Fuentes is the owner of a kayak company that takes folks down the river for fishing and educational tours —--- a couple of weeks ago Mr.Fuentes filed a lawsuit against the governor of Texas - Mr. Greg Abbott—---

When i read the text to jesse that we were going to be setting up an interview with Mr. Fuentes - we totally stoked out—-this was perfect - i just wanted to meet someone and talk to them - part of my recent works have been the importance of documentation of people and events — to do my best to challenge and push the journalistic approach to documenting by engaging into a critical thoughtful creative response —-- art is imperative to our existence 

But —--- we were mas hungry — so i texted Karina otra vez —- the first place she suggested was Yopo’s grill on Main street—-- “get the crispy tacos rojos w/ ground beef” —-pos whoa —enough said —---- jesse locked in the coordinates into his little carrito and away we went to get some comida de El Aguila —---

As we pulled up the building shape and design looked familiar —- it was an old Taco Cabana — probably from the Sean Elliot on the cups days —- good times —------When we walked in they had the same beer trough and the classic 2 sided salsa bar—- this place was badass —- we ordered the tacos rojos —-and they were a hit — in fact their salsas totally whipped TC’s ass — and the crunch on these shells were cosmic —- —---- after we cleaned off our plates i called Mr.Fuentes —- 

Mr. Jesse Fuentes had a soft voice - i let him know that i was an artist that had an interest in his story- and that i wanted to help share his experiences with any and all that i could—- he was very grateful that i had reached out – he asked if we wanted to interview him in front of an oak tree that he liked to sit under or  if we wanted to meet on his porch —- i didn't know how to answer - both seemed amazing —so he invited us to his porch —he gave us his address - and away we left in jesse’s carrito —- it was just down the street in a cute little working class neighborhood where all the yards were pretty and the trees were trimmed —--- We pulled up to his little ranchito as he came out to greet us—- He was a tall slender well dressed outfitter man with probably the best mustache i have ever seen on a human - larry mcmurtry would done a backflip on this one —- 

As we did our intros i started to set up my recording devices and go pro — of course i opened the go pro and it was at 30% - the tascam was acting funny with all the pinche mic wires - and my phone was 18% —- story – de—--- mi —---vida —----------- well at least i had my trusty nikon one touch point-and-shoot with a full 24 exposures of ilford black and white —--

I told him that i was extremely grateful for this opportunity to meet with him and that we were here just to listen to him - i know i said it was an interview - but this is where i try to just shut my mouth and let the people i meet —talk —-- i hit record on everything and he took off — quitely - it was a about a 40 minute convo - which i plan to edit and cleanup to upload —- he said so many things about why he decided to sue the governor - but it was the way he talked about the river —--and the people —- and like jesse reminded me —- he never once referred to it as the “border” —- he kept talking about everything in relation to the river - it was the central thing in his soft paced voice — he talked about his father and his grandfather and their relationship with the river —— he came to a part in the conversation where he described a part of the river that had an island with ducks and various fauna —and that the border patrol had taken a bulldozer and completely took it out —changing the river flow —-- his voice started to tremble and get more solid in his disappointment about how they could take out an entire island for political reasons —--it made no sense to him - he talked about the river and the wildlife as if they were all close relatives —-- when they decided to install the buoys in the river thats when he made the decision to file suit - it hindered his kayaking business and it was causing harm to the river’s existence —-----he elaborated on how his people have been living harmoniously with the river for generations and that the reasoning for the constantine wire and buoys and bulldozers and drones was not worth it —

We were in the presence of an elder —- and to hear his words about the unnecessary numerous deaths of people crossing for a better life and the life giving relationship to the river as central figure in his people’s lives was astonishing—---- 

Over 800 border deaths have been recorded for 2022 — that number is already being pushed to the limits for this year —--- most of the deaths are heat related or drownings 

I hear the young person they found in the 1000 foot buoy was from Honduras - some say he drowned in another part of the river and that the body floated into the river —-- the mother and child that they found dead in the river a couple of weeks ago were from Guatemala —--

The lynchings will continue 

After we said our goodbyes to Mr.Fuentes —----- me and jesse jumped in the car -  feeling like we could be there a week to collect more stories —i felt numb after being with Mr.Fuentes —- i could feel the pain of El Aguila —-already planning our next visit —-------- jesse is writing an op-ed for the papers —--- i'm gonna write a corrido —--- it's time to make some art

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