Dear IASA Members, and all those planning to attend the IASA Conference in Mexico in September:
Questions have been raised about the political situation in Mexico and the protesters currently camped out in the Plaza de la Constitución and along the main street Reforma. The protests by all reports, and as has been confirmed by our hosts in Mexico and various Foreign Affairs Departments, have been peaceful and non-violent.
The Plaza and Reforma are closed to traffic, which has not helped Mexico City's always chaotic traffic situation. However, the adjacent secondary streets are open. Pedestrians can use Reforma and the Plaza without fear and the Metro system is running normally. Hotels, restaurants, museums and other tourist attractions in the area are open, though perhaps not as busy as usual. This could be a plus.
It may mean that it will take an extra few minutes to walk from the hotels to our conference location, and that you might have to go to a secondary street to get a taxi, but the conference itself should not be affected. The airport was closed one day but it was due to the weather, not politics.
The key dates in resolving the political situation will come early in September when departing President Fox addresses the nation, the new Congress takes office and, on September 6, the Electoral Tribunal gives its verdict on the election. After that the political situation is expected to cool down. The transition to a free, transparent, and open democracy is not always smooth but, I am sure you will agree, is something we all support.
Our Mexican hosts hope you will not be worried, that you can be assured that there will be no major affect on the conference, and that you will continue to plan to join with us in Mexico City in September. We have a very interesting program and some exciting related events planned. For conference details, please visit the web site at ***https://www.radioeducacion.edu.mx/sisins/iasa/iasa.html * <https://www.radioeducacion.edu.mx/sisins/iasa/iasa.html>.
See you in September.
Richard Green
IASA President