This is the third installment of Diario de Yucatan and The Yucatan Times regarding the conflict between a group of expatriates against the municipal authority headed by Comisaria Bianey Chim.
CHELEM Yucatan (Diario de Yucatan/Megamedia) – Chelem’s municipal commissioner, Bianey Bibiana Chim Pat, says that only a few -five or six Americans, at most- have created a division in the expatriate community that resides in Chelem and regrets that this attitude could tarnish the work of another 500 foreigners, who have selflessly supported the town for many years.
The official indicates that approximately about 700 foreigners are living in Chelem. The number temporarily increases to 1,000 when others arrive to spend the winter and return to the United States or Canada in around February.
Bianey Chim emphasizes that the head of the group that is “getting everything out of control” is a real estate broker named Wade Yarchan, against whom -as we have already reported- she filed a denuncia at the State Attorney General’s Office. “These people, Wade Yarchan and other expatriates”- she adds, “have threatened other Americans and made racist comments. She also mentiones they have referred to her with derogatory words.
Yesterday we reported that at least one US citizen – Kelley Marie Conway – together with the administrator of a Facebook page that shares information about Chelem, have requested legal action against Wade Yarchan and three other Americans before the Third Court of Control of the First Judicial District of the State, based in Progreso. They are attributed with the probable commission of a crime. As on the previous day, reporters from The Yucatan Times and Diario de Yucatan tried to contact Mr. Yarchan’s attorney’s office by telephone to ask them for their client’s version of events. Again, no one answered the calls.
Breaking point
Mrs. Chim states in both her interview given to the Diario and her denuncia, filed at the Prosecutor’s Office, that the breaking point with Wade Yarchan occurred with the purchase of chlorine and hoses after the passage of the storm “Cristobal.”
Despite being told that it was not a good idea because the state government and the City Council had already taken care of disinfection in flooded areas, they went ahead and bought such items. The chlorine barrels were initially taken to the premises of the municipal commissariat. After an altercation involving Charlene Bokclage, Yarchan’s companion, the commissary’s husband asked the foreigners to take the barrels away to avoid any problems.
Bianey Chim says that at that time, she began to realize that this group was apparently under pressure from other people in their community who were making cash donations to Mr. Yarchan. He had to justify the use of the money.
Cyber Campaign against Mrs. Chim
From that incident on, explains the commissioner, a campaign was unleashed against her on social networks and by pm messages. Cindy Morrisey, who supports Mr. Yarchan, wrote on Facebook: “No more support for the commissioner. Everything is with me or Wade Yarchan,” as manifested in the investigation folder UNATD-GD-1525/2020 opened by the Prosecutor’s Office on the occasion of the denuncia presented by Bianey Chim, the elected authority of Chelem.
“You’re going to regret it.”
The day after the incident in the comisaria’s office, Yarchan showed up with his workers to pick up the chlorine barrels. The commissary had already requested support from the state and municipal police so that their agents would witness the withdrawal.
Bianey indicates in the memorial of her denuncia that the US citizen warned her, in the presence of witnesses: “You are going to regret it. As you will see, I have many people working for me, let’s hope you don’t have an accident”.
“After all this, the social networks exploded against my husband and me,” said the official in her complaint. “Wade Yarchan’s employees/associates treated us like thieves and made bad comments about us.” In the denuncia, she states that tension and stress have been reflected in her health due to this situation.
Show of support from the expatriate community.
“For several days, social networks were against us. It did not cease until a person named Kelley Marie Conway gave us her hand, told us that she believes in us and that she knew Wade Yarchan’s lies,” she emphasizes. Mrs. Conway is the one who requested criminal action against Yarchan a few days ago in the Third Control Court based in Progreso.
“Days after the chlorine episode” -says Bianey Chim, “Cindy Morrisey wrote on Facebook that her house had been robbed and her dogs killed, implying that my husband and I had a hand in this. In the message”, continues the representative of the municipality, “the American said that she hoped that the author or authors of these events “hopefully nothing happens to their families … I hope that all the evil they have done to me is reflected in their economy, that debts eat them up and their cars break down”.
The commissioner believes that the robbery could have been simulated because even Mrs. Morrisey’s phone was supposedly taken from the house yet, it turned up at another American’s home. “Besides, -she adds, Wade Yarchan offered an $80,000 reward to anyone who gave reports on those responsible for the dogs’ death.
Coincidences
Bianey Chim does not accuse anyone but says that after Mrs. Morrisey’s publicly “wished” her car to “break,” Bianey’s car -which she always leaves on her doorstep- began to fail and emit dense white smoke. The mechanic told her that someone had poured water into her gas tank.
Subsequently, her husband’s car, which is also parked on the street, had malfunctioning brakes. She later had to use the transfer vehicle assigned to the community for an errand and had a brake failure that almost caused an accident. The situation no longer seemed normal to her. Days later, after analyzing the situation, she decided to file the denuncia at the Attorney General’s Office.
Expatriates support.
Bianey Chim says they have always had the support of the expatriate community. She recalls that a few weeks ago, after the passage of storms “Delta” and “Gamma,” the group selflessly came to offer help and even provided food for those in need. The municipal authority was in charge of coordinating the tasks to reach the beneficiaries.
In-kind, not in cash
Bianey mentioned that she has always requested that vulnerable groups be given in kind, not in cash, to avoid possible misunderstandings.
Read Diario de Yucatan original article in Spanish.
