Miguel Gutierrez responds to my questions about what is going on
down there

I asked:

1) Where does the money for the FAI annual fee come from? Pilots? The
government? Others?

He responds:

The money use to come from Federal Government through the CONADE (Comision
Nacional del Deporte), this federal office give the money to the CODEME (Confederación
Deportiva Mexicana) our NAC is FEMEDA (Federacion Mexicana de Aeronautica) is a
member of CODEME. This Federal Office are meant to support the sports.

In the US the money comes from the dues that all the hang glider
and paraglider members of the USHPA pay. In the US the NAI collects money from
each of the aerosport associations (like the USHPA) and sends that money to the
FAI. As I vaguely recall, the USHPA pays about $8000/year to the NAI and that
money basically goes to the FAI. Could be wrong on some of the details. We don't
get any government money, unlike Mexico. Maybe that is the source of the
problem.

I asked:

2) If the Mexican NAC doesn't pay this fee, is it the case that each association
has to pay the same fee, and could not the associations just band together, give
the Mexican NAC a portion of the 4,000 euros to pay the fee? Why have they not
done this? What is the reason that the NAC is not paying the fee?

He responds:

Under the actual government, CONADE carried out audits of
different Federations including FEMEDA because is not clear were the money goes.
CONADE no longer gives money to most of the CODEME affiliated Federations
including FEMEDA because it is clear that this Federations do not spend the
money on their programs, competitions, etc.

José Peña Buenrostro has been President of FEMEDA since 1988 and has never
supported sportsman, teams, national or international competitions. One of the
main problems is that ANPYP, our Hang Gliding and Paragliding National
Association (Eduardo Panuco President), does not have authority from FEMEDA.
Everything must be approve by FEMEDA or/and Mr. Buenrostro.

So the CONADE is not giving the money to FEMEDA so that FEDMEDA is
not paying the FAI their fee, so that Mexican pilots can't get their FAI
licenses to fly in the Worlds in 2017 in Brazil. That's what I get from this.
Seems like FEMEDA was not carrying our its proper functions, so it is a good
thing that they are not getting the money, but this hurts the pilots.

I asked:

3) Why has the Mexican NAC not been scrupulous in providing FAI licenses? They
are automatic in the US if you ask for them and join the NAC for a low cost.

He responds:

We really don't know exactly, but the general consensus is that
FEMEDA do not want to have official affiliates, so that they do not have enough
people to vote against their desires.

Seems to me that giving out FAI licenses would not really be an
issue here.

I asked:

4) Why has the NAC been involved in hang gliding and paragliding certification
programs? In the US the NAC (NAI) is not involved in this, only the USHPA.

He responds:

Yes, it should be like that. Actually ANPYP, our association, that
makes the certification programs with input from schools and professionals, but
again, FEMEDA do not give authority to ANPYP. The license with F.A.I. Stamps
comes direct from FEMEDA.

Well, this is true in the US also. The NAI gives out FAI licenses,
not the USHPA. The USHPA is responsible for hang gliding and paragliding
certification. The NAI has little to nothing to do with this. I guess I don't
understand what Miguel means by not give authority to ANPYP. What authority is
he talking about?

I asked:

5) What does the 4th point in your post mean? "Mexican NAC has obligated to pay
a fee of $5,000 USD to organizers of the CAT-1 20th Hang Gliding World
Championships."

He responds:

This is related direct to me or ALAS DEL HOMBRE, my company.
FEMEDA is forcing me to pay them $5,000 USD as a fee for having organized the
Twentieth Hang Gliding Worlds in Valle. (This is because FEMEDA needs the money
to pay the F.A.I.) This is clear act of extortion by FEMEDA against me.

As a category one meet organizer I had to pay the FAI a fee that
came out of the pilot fees. This fee went directly to the FAI/CIVL. It did not
go through our account. I wonder if there is some other fee that Miguel is
talking about here. I don't recall it being that high. As I recall it was about
the equivalent of one team's entry fees or $3,600.

I asked:

6) What is the issue with the 5th point? How are the costs of drug testing
handled in other countries? "Mexican NAC has charged $30,000 MXP to organizers
of CAT-1 20th Hang Gliding World Championships for Anti-doping exams.

He responds:

Same issue as before. FEMEDA is forcing me to pay them $30,000 MXP
for drug testing exams made at 20th Hang Gliding Worlds in Valle. (These tests
were conducted and paid for by CONADE not by FEMEDA.) This is clear act of
extortion from FEMEDA against me.

We have not been made to pay for drug exams here in the US (no
Category 1 events here since the FAI/CIVL instituted this). I wonder how other
meet organizers pay for the drug tests. I would think that it would come out of
the entry fees, but then in the US there is no government money for this.

I asked:

7) Category 1 meet organizers in the US have not been obligated to pay for the
USHPA representatives to CIVL. Why this the case in Mexico?

He responds:

This is clear act of extortion from FEMEDA against organizers.

The USHPA members pay for our CIVL representatives to go to the
CIVL meetings. Meet organizers do not pay for this, but they can send their own
representative if they wish. They would have to pay for that.

I asked:

8) What does suspension from the Mexican NAC mean?

He responds:

If we do not pay F.A.I. annual fee, MEXICO will be suspended from
F.A.I.

Okay. I understood this to mean that you, Miguel, were being
suspended from the ANPYP or from FEMEDA. Yes, if FEMEDA does not pay it its fee
to the FAI, it will be suppened.

I asked:

9) How has the Mexican NAC insulted Steph?

He responds:

Please see our document and you will have the answer.

The document is found
here.
Here is what some of it says (the part in English):

Distinguished Sirs,

My Spanish is very approximate and I can only guess what your letter is about.

You seem to accuse me, as CIVL President, to have bypassed your authority.

This is ridiculous.

The nomination of Miguel Guttierez for our highest award was signed by your NAC
President, M. Buenrostro. See attached. It was treated strictly according to
FAI/CIVL rules: published on our Plenary Agenda, voted by our Plenary, published
in our Plenary minutes (all documents made public on our website), information
sent to FAI. Then FAI invited M. Gutiérrez to received his award.

M. Gutiérrez came to receive his well deserved awards before the General
Conference. See
http://www.fai.org/civl-news/42414-miguel-gutierrez-honored-in-bali. 
He was not representing Mexico or your NAC, only himself. He did not participate
in the General Conference meetings.

I find your letter misleading and insulting and, unless I am proven wrong, I am
expecting apologies.

Regards,

Stephane Malbos

CIVL President