aurelio guerra

WESLACO, Texas - Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., says he fears the international bridges will be closed to Mexican visa holders for another month, if not longer.

Treviño held a news conference at the Cameron County Courthouse last Wednesday where he discussed the issue in depth. He said that in his capacity as chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, he had written to acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Mark Morgan, urging him to re-open the bridges.

President Trump has restricted border crossings for the past six weeks to trade and commerce. Ordinary visa holders cannot cross to go shopping, sightseeing or visit their families. Border communities say their economy has been hurt by the decision. Supporters of the restriction say the measure has reduced the chance of COVID-19 spreading. The current restrictions are in place until June 22. 

Treviño would not say who had told him the border crossing restrictions will be extended. 

The day after the news conference in Brownsville, all the four county judges in the Rio Grande Valley met for a news conference at the offices of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council in Weslaco. The four are Treviño, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, and Willacy County Judge Aurelio Guerra. The news conference was called to discuss a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the Valley. However, the issue of whether to re-open the bridges came up.

Veteran broadcaster Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports asked all four county judges a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question. Do they support the re-opening of the bridges.

This podcast contains their answers.

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

WESLACO, Texas - It is rare for the four county judges of the Rio Grande Valley to get together in public. But they did so at a news conference last Wednesday to discuss the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

The four county judges are Richard Cortez of Hidalgo, Eddie Treviño, Jr., of Cameron, Eloy Vera of Starr, and Aurelio Guerra of Willacy. They met at the offices of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council in Weslaco.

Rio Grande Guardian reporter Steve Taylor asked the judges what plans they have to reduce the increase in the coronavirus, other than tell local residents to social distance, wear a mask and wash their hands frequently.

This podcast features the response of the county judges to that question. 

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.