Baja governor prepares to rid Libertad neighborhood of TJ's oldest library

Through an executive order justified by a survey made on his Facebook's live-streamed daily conferences, Baja California's governor Jaime Bonilla gave away the Benito Juarez public library facilities, the Baja California's Cultural Institute building, and the offices of the state government in Tijuana to the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC).

The survey said: “Every year 3,500 applicants are rejected from UABC’s medical career. The state government has decided to donate its offices in Tijuana, in order to increase the students enrollment capacity. What’s your opinion?" This question was replied to by 253 viewers that said “I agree”, and the other 893 voted for “I do not agree”.

Lourdes Lizardi, from La Libertad neighborhood and independent cultural promoter, said that the donation of the library is a whim of the governor. “We’re upset they don’t consider our community. Even when they know they can’t give away these buildings and their lot because they were given by Lopez Portillo through a presidential order for public specific uses and services in 1978."

This public library, 39 years in place, is the oldest and biggest in Tijuana. According to librarian Jose it has 13,000 books, 5,638 for kids and contains a newspaper library with the first published papers in Tijuana, from 1938 to 2002, and more than 20,000 users visit the library every year.

Jose explained that he was surprised because he never received any official document on the re-location of the library. "I feel powerless, it's unfair I have been working here for 30 years, there is no other place like this in the whole state."

Nobody thought this happened until last Friday, February 19, when people showed up to start the re-location of the state government offices, the library, and the Baja California’s Cultural Institute. A couple of days later the governor announced the library would be settled in the public’s mail offices.

On Monday, February 22, librarians, neighbors, and cultural promoters held a protest against re-locating the library to the old post office.

“We are not against the growing [of UABC], but we have concerns about the culture. Because this a tool to keep youngsters out of crime and drugs." Lourdes stated. “Now they’re saying that the library would be re-located to the building of the public post offices, but that building needs investment because it’s not in good condition to conserve old documents. It's full of moisture."

Despite the decision the governor made in October through his live-streamed survey, the old post office located on 11th Street in downtown Tijuana is still used for the mail headquarters and they haven't invested any money to improving this building. Protesters assured that this is a proof of the governor’s whim to give away these facilities.

“We will keep raising our voices because they are affecting directly five neighborhoods around. The Cultural Institute had summer workshops for our kids and grandsons, photo exhibits, concerts, English classes, and book conferences. They are just taking that away from the neighborhood.” Lourdes said.

For now, the committee formed between librarians, neighbors, and cultural promoters interposed an amparo (legal protection in the Mexican constitution) against the governor using Lopez Portillo’s presidential order to make the governor stop the relocation of the library, which has helped them to pause it until a judge dictates a resolution.