During his last visit, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador asserted that Tabasco has left behind decades of backwardness, highlighting its supposed leadership in economic growth and job creation in 2023. However, the reality in 2024 is far from that narrative.
According to those who live in the state, unemployment, insecurity, and informal employment have re-emerged as the problems that define daily life. Thousands of Tabasco residents have been forced to migrate to cities like Monterrey, Saltillo, or Querétaro, where job offers are more abundant and better paid.
Unemployment and Economic Abandonment in the Southeast
Unemployed Primitivo Martínez was clear when describing the situation: “Employment is terrible here in Tabasco. There are many people without jobs, and wages are very low.” Added to this are testimonies like that of Magaly Gaspar, who asserted that many businesses face extortion or “derecón de piso” (floor rights), which scares away private investment and limits opportunities.
Insecurity has also become a brake on commerce. Restaurant owners like Carlos Castro claim that fewer and fewer people are going out to buy things, affecting the already weakened local economy.
The Mirage of Dos Bocas and Projects with No Real Impact
The boom Tabasco experienced during the construction of the Dos Bocas refinery was brief and, according to experts, primarily benefited foreign workers. Economist Wilver Méndez noted that nearly 90% of the employees on that project were from outside the state, and with their departure, the local economy plummeted again.
Another multi-million-dollar investment, such as that of the Villahermosa boardwalk, also failed to bear fruit. Citizens like Emir Bejarano point out that the lack of parking and planning drives away visitors. Furthermore, the project presented defects from its first months of use.
Figures that contradict the official narrative
According to data from INEGI (National Institute of Statistics and Geography), Tabasco ended 2024 among the three states with the lowest economic growth (30th to 32nd), while more than 50,000 people were unemployed and around 700,000 were in the informal sector, without access to social security or benefits.
Although the government celebrated a supposed recovery, local reports and voices agree: the growth was temporary, uneven, and without lasting impact. Tabasco became the “Cinderella” of the six-year term, whose chariot disappeared with the last concrete block in Dos Bocas.
Source: tvazteca
