Michael Bircumshaw, Baja Sun

Dear Publisher,

I am writing of my concerns about the recent activities of The Gringo Gazette (publisher, Carrie Duncan) - a publication which circulates in the Los Cabos, BCS area and which, I am certain , many of your readers who have ventured to Cabo are aware of.

This publication, from the period of February, 2000 to the present, has featured a number of articles directed against four individuals in Los Zacatitos, San Jose del Cabo, BCS. These individuals are legal residents in Mexico, three of them are involved in the construction and property management business, the fourth is a retired dermatologist from the US. All of these individuals are respected members of the community and none of them are guilty of the outrageous charges, defamation and libel published in the Gringo Gazette.

This publication is effectively damaging the cordial relations between Mexican and American residents of Los Cabos, the livelihoods and legal status of four individuals, relations between the foreign resident community and government institutions (notably Immigration, and the Police/Courts), the livelihoods of Mexican workers in the area who work for construction companies, and finally the Los Zacatitos community itself.

The inventions of the publisher (Duncan), and editor (David Flores) represent a poisoned-pen journalism that benefits no one, not even ultimately themselves. Over three hundered names were published in a recent Mexican paper as signatories against the Gazette’s libelous tactics. One expects advertisers to follow suite and flee. But the disinformation of the Gazette continues, recently including the U.S. Consulate in Los Cabos as 'supporting' their views.

The Gazette has demanded that these people be summarily deported, that community members inform on each other anonymously, and has falsified all of the accusations right from the start of this series in February.

I would ask that the Mexican, American and in particular Baja journalists examine the issue, read the documents, the petitions, the articles themselves and publicize this outrage to the trust and well-being we all enjoy in Baja.

I have such a file, the ‘List of Exhibits’ (documents) is posted on the internet at:

Sincerely,

Al Razutis

Los Angeles, CA.