Allegations of Government Intervention to Thwart Transport Strike on the Mexico-Querétaro Highway

Allegations of Government Intervention to Thwart Transport Strike on the Mexico-Querétaro Highway

A group of seven transport leaders have accused the Secretariat of the Interior (Segob) of sabotaging a protest that was planned on the Mexico-Querétaro highway, near kilometer 90 on the Arco Norte, with the release of a statement by the department about an alleged agreement to avoid the nationwide strike on February 5th. According to journalist Miriam Moreno from Grupo Fórmula, the main protest was supposed to take place in that area to demand greater security on the roads from the federal government. However, the three transport leaders who had met with Segob did not show up after the agreements they had made with the authorities, and they were the ones expected to bring support from several units. The transport leaders who had met with Segob did not inform the rest of the leaders about their decision not to attend, causing the blockade to fall apart, according to the journalist.

"What do the leaders tell us? That Segob, with their statement, somehow deactivated the movement on the Arco Norte, and the dialogue only involved 3 leaders out of the 14 who were calling for the national strike," Miriam Moreno reported on "Por la Mañana" with Ciro Gómez Leyva.

Progress of the National Transport Strike in Other States

Reporter Laura Brugés reported from the Ojo de Agua tollbooth on the Mexico-Pachuca highway that traffic was flowing despite the presence of protesting transporters demanding action from the National Guard to address the lack of security in the roads. The transporters at this point belong to the Union of Operators and Transporters. Some of the members do not recognize the agreement reached between some leaders and Segob. The Grupo Fórmula correspondent detailed that the transporters are in dialogue to determine whether or not to close the highway.

Meanwhile, Raúl Alfaro, a reporter for this media outlet in Chihuahua, reported that cargo transporters, personnel transporters, and taxi drivers from different organizations were located on the highway near the Puerta sculpture, and had not yet taken any lanes. It is expected that they could close the lanes within an hour or two, demanding greater security. Elizabeth Aviña, Grupo Fórmula correspondent in Veracruz, reported that over 5,000 transporters from the National Coalition of United Organizations were participating in the mobilization that started on the Coatzacoalcos-Villahermosa highway, at the height of the municipality of Aguadulce, and were moving slowly. In this case, the drivers did not block the highway but were causing traffic due to their movement speed. They are asking the federal government to remove poorly installed checkpoints of the National Guard and the Secretariat of National Defense, as they do not guarantee security. They also demand equal payment rates and a fair wage. In Chiapas, AMTAC also joined the national transport strike, and dozens of units gathered in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Comitán, and Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Their demand is for the federal government to urgently address the increasing assaults on truck drivers. Transport strike in Chiapas to demand security.

Transport Suspended in Chilpancingo after 4 Drivers Killed

Public transportation services in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, have been suspended as a result of four transporters being murdered in the last 24 hours, according to a report by Guadalupe Gutiérrez, a correspondent in that region. The journalist stated that there has been a surge in violence against transporters in the municipality, and following the recent violent incidents, they decided to halt services due to the lack of security.

Topics

National transport strike, violence against transporters, highway robberies.