Market vendors are subjected to extortion charges by criminal organizations that operate even on a national scale. Payment demands range from 10 thousand pesos per month to three thousand pesos per week, according to affected vendors.
Excelsior toured markets located in the Cuauhtémoc and Gustavo A. Madero municipalities, where merchants reported that extortion has been going on for years, but has worsened.
They come and tell you that they are going to give you protection, but when you refuse to pay their supposed security, they start threatening you and demand payment of rent, which is up to 10 thousand pesos per month,” said a vendor at the Luis Martínez de la Torre market.
Facade of the Martínez de la Torre market.
The pandemic ended (in 2021) and these guys arrived. They even said they had protection from the mayor’s office, but we don’t know who they are. Some have paid for fear that something will be done to us and, for that reason, we have not filed a complaint,” he explained.
Last September, the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Mexico City (Canaco) reported that merchants had lost seven billion pesos due to extortion in the first quarter of 2023, so they welcomed the strategy presented by the local government to combat this scourge.
FIGHT WITH INTELLIGENCE
In the San Felipe de Jesús market, in Gustavo A. Madero, the commission of this crime is constant; criminals demand three thousand pesos a week as a floor fee.
We have heard of colleagues who have been attacked for not paying. We have gone to the authorities, but no one does anything,” said one of those affected.
In the supply centers of the Xochimilco pier, they also suffer from extortion.
In response to the problems in that municipality, recently elements of Intelligence of the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) arrested five members of a cell that has ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and that committed extortions.
One of the victims narrated that the criminals arrived at night and intimidated them into paying five thousand pesos every two weeks in exchange for letting them work.
Arrested for extortion of tenants.
*In November the anti-extortion strategy began;
the work has left at least a dozen detainees.
On the other hand, in the April 2 market, Cuauhtémoc municipality, the extortionists demand five thousand pesos every two weeks, said workers of the site where on November 7 they killed a butcher for not paying the floor fee.
In response to this fact, the authorities of that district implemented a security device in the market, where they permanently installed a pair of elements of the Auxiliary Police belonging to the district.
In addition, as part of the investigations, the SSC arrested on November 13 members of a gang that is dedicated to extorting tenants; the suspects belong to La Unión Tepito.
THE PROMISE
Two days earlier, the Government of Mexico City launched an anti-extortion strategy, which includes visits to businesses to inform tenants about the tools they have to prevent them from being victims of this crime.
It has to do with talking, being present at the place, giving recommendations very focused on the issue of extortion, checking the environment, that the cameras are functional, making a quick evaluation with the measures that the business has,” declared Pablo Vázquez, head of the capital Police, in an interview with this media outlet.
Meanwhile, the coordinator of C5, Salvador Guerrero Chiprés, revealed that almost a month after the launch of the anti-extortion telephone line, they have registered around 800 reports.
The number to request support is 55-50-36-33-01, which operates 24 hours a day, all year round.
Source: excelsior
