They strike each month in secrecy, and so far they haven’t been found out. Latino media and political types are buzzing about the unnamed perpetrators at Ladmo Park, cyber-Chicano activists who have adopted the Maryvale park as their moniker. Their electronic newsletter critiquing the Latino political landscape has quickly become a must-read among Mexican-American power brokers and their observers.

The Flash communicated with a Ladmo Park ringleader who refuses to give his name and who says that the upstart organization has “more than one, less than a thousand” participants.

“I think we have an important job. We can get away with a lot more than you guys can,” says the mysterious e-mailer.

Ladmo Park newsletters critique coverage of Latino issues by the media, report statistics about the local Latino population, and celebrate a Chicano of the month (the most recent recipient: attorney Stephen Montoya, who helped plaintiffs win a $400,000 settlement with the city of Chandler over police involvement in an INS operation).

In particular, the Ladmo Park activists often target Arizona Republic columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr., who they see as a menace. “He’s detrimental to our community. It’s really easy for people outside our community to think he represents us. He justifies their arguments for them,” says the LP jefe.

The activists don’t like the way Navarrette (who once served as a paid consultant to California millionaire Ron Unz working to end bilingual education in that state) has whipped up fervor against bilingual education in Arizona through several articles, columns and editorials in the Republic.

Despite the attacks on him, Navarrette has been a good sport, and recently sent Ladmo Park one of his columns with a friendly note. It opens with the salutation, “Amigos.”

“That’s cute,” says the Ladmo Park leader.

A month ago, Ladmo Park asked readers to submit suggestions for a nickname for Navarrette, and in the most recent issue revealed their choice: El Hueso, or “the bone.”

“What do you think it means?” asked the Ladmo Park spokesoperative, who then confirmed that the moniker carried an anatomical theme. “We’re hoping we can find a condom small enough to protect us from the disease he’s spreading.”



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