Boquillas, Mexico: Part 1

The Rio Grande River which is the border between the United Staes, and Mexico.

I originally ended up in Boquillas while I was photographing a story on “Border Towns, along the U.S. Mexico Border. Since that visit I have returned several times. It has become a destination of the heart.

Boquillas, Mexico is a small village just across the Rio Grande River from Big Bend National Park, in southern Texas. In the early 1890s silver was discovered in the Sierra del Carmen, whose northern tip lies just east of Boquillas. This discovery brought an onslaught of miners, who established two border camps - one on either side of the river. In addition to silver, the miners also extracted lead, and zinc. At the peak of the mining operation, the population of Boquillas was between 2,000 and 4,000 people.

Entering into the 20th century the primary employers were those industries involved in the production of Lead, Silver, and fluorite ore. In 1919 mining abruptly ceased, causing a rapid decline in the town’s population.

For years, following this dramatic decline in population, and employment opportunities, residents of Boquillas adapted by creating trade that catered to the tourism industry of Big bend National Park. Residents of Boquillas could move freely across the Rio Grande River (the border between the United States, and Mexico) to sell their wares.

It was the events of 911 that significantly changed the fate of Boquillas’ residents. In May, of 2002, the border crossing, from Boquillas to Big bend National Park was closed, indefinitely.  By October of 2006, only 19 families - which equates to about 100 residents in total, remained in Boquillas. Most had fled to other parts of Mexico due to the elimination of the tourist trade.

With a current population of less than 100 residents, Boquillas, at times, can seem almost like a Ghost Town.

As of April 10, 2013 the border crossing was officially reopened, but with severe restrictions that continue to this day. There is an immigration office, on the U.S. side - about 100 yards north of the river. Visitors to Big Bend National Park are able to pass through - as long as they have a valid passport. This is a requirement for all wishing to travel across the river to Boquillas. And herein lies the rub; unless they know in advance, most U.S. citizens do not travel to Texas with their passport - and only a passport will get you permission to cross. I have witnessed countless people trying to gain permission using active Military ID’s, but they are denied. In addition, the immigration office is only open a few days a week - sometime less.

As for the residents of Boquillas, their access to the United States is nearly impossible - preventing them from  gaining access to the tourist trade that is unable to cross into Mexico.And tourism is still the [only] means of generating an income for residents of Boquillas.

What is even more devastating is that the closest gas station, and the closest hospital, to Boquillas, is approximately 200 kilometers by gravel road.

Small Wire Animals, and other trinkets are displayed on a rock, atop an overlook of the Rio Grande River, in Big Bend National Park - United States.

Some residents of Boquillas will make their way across the river, to leave handmade trinkets on the U.S. side, for sale. They will place the items in an area where there will be a somewhat steady stream of tourist, along with a container, and a sign. The sign has the price of the items, and is based solely on a ‘trust system’, for tourists to take a trinket, and put the money in the container. Moreover, they also need to trust that someone - a tourist, will not just run off with the container of money.

This, of course is “illegal”, and there are notifications, in the park, warning tourists of this illegality. I had, on one occasion, had the opportunity to make a series of photograph, of young man who was bringing his wares across the river. I declined to make the photographs because I know, if they were published, he would be arrested.

_David