Annotations for Geographic: Albuquerque Nm

The U.S. General Accounting Office has issued the first of several reports on Spanish land grants in New Mexico. From Albuquerque, Catalina Reyes has more.

For 150 years, rural Latinos have argued the U.S. broke its agreement to honor their Spanish and Mexican land grants. Now, the GAO has issued a draft in the first of a series of reports to Congress that may finally lead to redress. New Mexico Land Grant Forum member Roberto Mondragon.

Although it doesn't carry the weight of law, it does provide for recommendations to be given in the event that wrongs were done in the taking of some of the lands from the land grant heirs. After legislation to resolve land grant claims repeatedly failed to clear Congress, New Mexico senators requested studies to define types of grants and analyze how they were implemented. Remaining reports are due by 2003.

For Latino USA, I'm Catalina Reyes in Albuquerque.