EAGLE PASS, Texas — In this Texas border city where international trade is the lifeblood of the local economy, a proposed commercial border crossing has mushroomed into a fierce debate.
Developers and supporters of the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge envision “next generation commercial port of entry” for the region that includes Maverick County, Texas and Coahuila, Mexico and the border cities Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras.
The proposed Puerto Verde bridge has become one of the most contentious local issues for the midterm elections despite not being on the ballot and it appears to be driving voter interest in a region wrestling with fundamental economic development issues.
During a townhall hosted by Puente News Collaborative and Pulitzer Center, the Puente Verde controversy, The Puente Verde controversy, took center stage. The community engagement meeting followed a story by Hearst newspapers and the Puente News Collaborative.
In the story, Ruben Garibay, chairman of the Puerto Verde Binational Industrial Complex and Transportation, explained in an interview with Puente News and Hearst newspapers, why Puerto Verde is key for the future of the Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras region.
“This is a golden opportunity for Eagle Pass, whether they see it or not,” he said. “They will eventually see it. And that’s OK. Sometimes it takes a man that is a trailblazer, that’s going to do his own thing regardless of what happens, because I know I’m not hurting anybody.”
But the argument isn't simply whether Eagle Pass voters recognize the need for more economic development or have failed to appreciate Garibay’s efforts. Few residents in this busy commercial corridor, which connects Mexico’s industrial base to markets in the U.S. and Canada, dispute the importance of trade development.
What’s at stake is what that development should look like, where it should be allowed to flower and, most importantly for voters, who gets a say in the decision-making.
For Maverick County Republican Party Chair Sandy Sassano, the Puente Verde project has raised concerns, from its proposed location and its impact on nearby residents to its environmental effects and what it will cost taxpayers.
“It’s a big concern to all the voters, especially because of the location where they’re proposing it to be,” Sassano said, adding that residents who once believed the project would affect their own neighborhoods now see it as a regional issue, where unchecked economic development can affect anyone living along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Democrat or Republican. You live here. You pay taxes,” she said.
The bridge project is a campaign issue in the race for Maverick County judge, with Democratic candidate Gerardo “Jerry” Morales making opposition to the project – as currently proposed – a big part of his platform.
Puerto Verde's prominence in the upcoming midterm vote stems from the role of county judges in Texas. Along the border with Mexico, these elected “judges” act more like chief executive officers, holding sway over permits for land and economic development projects. They often sit in the middle of negotiations over trade and transportation between Mexican officials and business executives and U.S. state and federal officials.
Morales said his position on Puerto Verde was not initially something his campaign went looking for.
“The decision came from our community,” Morales said.
He noted that, as discussion spread through social media, campaign events and the broader community, the controversy grew beyond the precinct.
Morales opposes the current map for Puerto Verde. But he drew a distinction between that “no,” and possible support for a new international crossing.
He said Maverick County must prepare for continued growth of international commerce but cautioned that any major infrastructure project should begin with greater public involvement.
The Puerto Verde project underscores the dilemma facing borderlands voters. Commercial traffic means investment, construction and jobs. Increased capacity can also strengthen a region's hand in competing for international trade traffic. But that traffic needs infrastructure to move goods across countries. The roads and bridges have to go somewhere, and often it’s near home.
Sassano questioned whether the long-term benefits promised by Puerto Verde bridge supporters would outweigh those costs. Construction creates jobs, she acknowledged, but questioned how much of that employment will remain after the project is completed.
“Once (the builders) are gone, where are the jobs?” she asked.
She also questions the need for a third crossing, since costly delays at existing international bridges can be attributed to staffing shortfalls and inspection capacity.
But Morales added that debate over Puerto Verde has spilled into the November vote because county leaders must discuss its implications.
“International trade is not going away,” Morales said. “It’s growing at a very fast pace, and we need to keep up with it.”
For voters, that raises questions bigger than a single bridge.
Along the U.S.-Mexico border, trade projects are discussed in terms of billions of dollars, international commerce and global supply chains. But their fate can come down to something decidedly local: whether people living next door believe the projects are worth altered neighborhoods.
Sassano predicts the bump in global business promised by supporters of the Puerto Verde project will weigh heavily on voters’ decisions in November, but adds that in the borderlands, global trade, like all politics, is local.
This story is published as part of a collaboration between Factcheaudado and Puente News Collaborative, a bilingual nonprofit newsroom. KTEP News is a founding member of Puente News collaborative.
