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Andrés Bermúdez, diputado federal del PAN, muere a los 58 ańos, en Houston, por cáncer en el estómago
ZACATECAS.- El Comité Directivo Estatal (CDE) del PAN lamentó la muerte del diputado federal por Zacatecas, Andrés Bermúdez Viramontes, 'El Rey del Tomate', quien murió este jueves en una clínica de Houston, Texas, donde se atendía por cáncer en el estómago.

La presidencia del Comité Directivo Estatal del PAN, a cargo de Pedro Martínez Flores, lamentó la muerte del legislador.

Andrés Bermúdez tenía 58 ańos de edad, era originario de la comunidad El Durazno, de Jerez de García Salinas, Zacatecas, de donde emigró a Estados Unidos, en donde hizo fortuna con la producción de tomate.

Cabe seńalar que en 2001 fue candidato a presidente municipal en Jerez por el PRD y ganó la alcaldía, sin embargo, por una impugnación interpuesta por el PRI donde seńalaba que no cubría el requisito de residencia en la población, el tribunal federal resolvió que no podría desempeńar el cargo y puso a su suplente.

Sin embargo, tres ańos después fue presidente municipal, pero ahora bajo las siglas del Partido Acción Nacional (PAN).

En el 2006, se postuló a la candidatura a diputado federal por el distrito segundo de Zacatecas y obtuvo el triunfo.

Como migrante, fue famoso por la producción, distribución y venta de tomate, lo que le ganó el mote de 'El Rey del Tomate'.

Su vestimenta característica era en negro y no se quitaba un sombrero tejano del mismo color, porque, según decía, siempre estaba de luto por la muerte de un hermano y por los mexicanos que cruzaban la frontera hacia Estados Unidos y que fallecieron en el intento.

El suplente de Andrés Bermúdez es Federico Bernal Frausto, ex alcalde de Tabasco, Zacatecas, ex diputado local y empresario del ramo dulcero.

16 December 2005
Zacatecas ‘Tomato King’ plagued by scandal




Story by : David Agren

Andres Bermudez left Zacatecas state as an impoverished field hand in 1974. He and his pregnant wife sneaked across the border, hiding in the trunk of a car. After a short stint working in a suitcase factory, Bermudez began laboring in the fields of northern California. His luck changed after he invented a device for planting tomatoes. The new contraption quickly became popular among growers, earning Bermudez the nickname, "The Tomato King." It also earned him a small fortune. He returned to his hometown of Jerez, Zacatecas in 2001 as a celebrity, a migrant made good from a spot lacking opportunities — a place where much of the population survives on remittances sent home from the United States. He capitalized on his notoriety, capturing the popular vote in the 2001 mayor's race, but was subsequently denied office by election officials, who ruled that he failed to meet the state's residency requirements. After successfully lobbying for a change in the law, he won again in 2004, this time running under the banner of Zacatecas' least popular political party.

"I'm not the king of tomatoes here," Bermudez humbly said during an interview at his wood-paneled office in Jerez city hall on a chilly December morning. "I'm the king of tomatoes in the (United States); I live like a king in the (United States), but not here."

Bermudez's electoral feat and his incredible rags-to-riches story captured international headlines. Observers hailed his triumph as an example of migrants flexing their political muscles in the communities they have long propped up through remittances. The Tomato King promised to turn Jerez, a sleepy burg of 60,000 in the Central Mexican highlands, into a mini America, a well-governed place teeming with prosperity and most importantly jobs. And in a threat to the old guard, he vowed to "Get the rats out of city hall." Somewhat bizarrely, he also promised visas for young workers heading to the United States and tomato-planting devices for poor campesinos (peasant farmers), who have been abandoning the countryside in droves.

But with notoriety came controversy and enemies. Several journalists and opposition city councilors allege Bermudez has engaged in corruption, nepotism, and lewd behavior and governed in an authoritarian style — like a king — intimidating opponents and employing thugish tactics. Emotions about Bermudez —a polemic figure — run high. Many Jerez residents preferred not to make on-the-record comments about the mayor.

"He's not better or worse than any of his predecessors," said Alfredo Saldańa, owner of the Hotel Jardin in the Jerez centro. "But he has a lot more enemies."

Three members of Jerez's city council went on a hunger strike three weeks ago, demanding the state government take action against the mayor. Members of a Jerez citizens' group along with local residents opposed to Bermudez later barricaded the front doors to city hall for four days.

"A hunger strike is an extreme method," conceded Adriana Marquez Sanchez, a city councilor from the Workers' Party (PT), who

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I took her by surprise I was on my way to work and this is a beggar community from Murshidabad West Bengal , a huge bunch that begs in the slums and from the slums moves in to the main road begging from shops.

They mostly dress in black, and most are in pairs, I have not talked to one of them , but its the morbid pain of their lives , they dont have children tagging them like the Mumbai or Kashmir migrant beggars.

Maybe Mamtaji's success in dislodging the reds might add a bit of color to the blackness of their own stark lives time will tell...

And all those parties that were created for the salvation have done nothing for the common man , their leaders fattened themselves became super rich in a very short space of time and the common Dalit or the poor man is still building statues in the sun.

This is the greatest tragedy of my beloved India.

A single vote added to the kitty of Ministerji made him a rags to riches story,and not that I envy him , he had his kismet emblazoned in gold before he was born on this planet the Gods of Indralok were by his side.

I shoot beggars it kills my boredom so to speak, it adds to the poetry of their life and mine too.


This world where I live in is a pond for thirsty beggars they come from far and wide and this is not a temple town on the banks of a river but this is Bandra a peaceful suburb once a Queen now gone to seed.

And between Bandra West and Bandra East there is a great divide , but it will not last very long as the East is now surpassing the West as the posh Bandra Kurla complex eats into the hearts of slumlands..Garib Nagar is touted as Rs 20000 per squire feet..and these days it hardly has a honorary mention in media..


And it is sad and strange the media talks incessantly of Libya Syria Iran Saudi Arabia Yemen but there will never be a line on the human rights situation in Bahrain..

Bahrain is under Saudi Arabia troops or the Peninsular force but who cares not even their spineless king who has lost the trust of his people is what it shows..

Muammar Gaddafi is a bad good ruler hardly gives anyone to right bomb an independent country.. we as Indians are lucky or they would have bombed our ruling party for the mess and the scams and corruption galore.


And Iraq after getting rid of Saddam Hussain is gone from bad to worse , whatever Saddam was at least he governed with an iron hand and there were not so many Sunni Shia clashes Muslims killing Muslims ..per se.


And our opposition political party in India is directionless and reminds me of an auction scene at a fishing market at Sassoon Dock...you can only hear the voice of the highest bidder... who takes the fish and the smell goes away .

I am happy after shooting beggars at least my mind gets a new lease on its imagination and from the same words I recycle the pain of a new poem.

This was posted last night at 2.30 am I am adding text this morning I slept late like almost all cheering Indian did.