For more than two decades, he has traveled the country’s highways as a freight operator. During that time, he has seen how insecurity has increased, to the point that, today, he considers the risk of being robbed not only latent, but also part of the cost of continuing to work.
“The second robbery was stolen from my truck in Querétaro. I’m aware of the insecurity in Jalisco, but thank God it hasn’t happened to me again,” the driver tells MILENIO Jalisco, who prefers to remain anonymous for safety reasons.
With 20 years in the business, the truck driver says he used to be able to travel with peace of mind, stopping without fear. “Before, we could travel quite calmly, without fear of stopping anywhere to buy something, and now, it’s like they’re no longer waiting for us to get our load, they’re waiting for us.”
The problem, he explains, worsened a few years ago. He says it began during the last six-year term. “This has been a clear sign for me since they started closing pipelines to fuel thieves. From then on, the problem began. If robberies were 30 percent before, now it’s double that. The magnitude of the problem has grown significantly.”
Although he hasn’t been a direct victim in recent years, he has taken preventative measures: “What I do is go out and don’t stop until I’ve passed Jalisco. I don’t even carry valuables anymore so as not to attract attention. And although I’ve thought about bringing something to defend myself, the truth is we’re at a disadvantage. They’re even killing us.”
How do robberies of cargo transport happen in Jalisco?
Technology, such as GPS or satellite circuit breakers, isn’t a guarantee either: “I have a GPS, but they have world-class technology. They block it. And although the boss can turn off the car from the system, once they catch you, they don’t even let you know.”
Among his fellow travelers, stories of attempted robberies are frequent. “They’ve tried to stop me with rocks. They throw a rock at your windshield, and if you stop a few kilometers ahead, there are already people waiting for you. That’s their modus operandi.”
The highest-risk areas, he says, are sections like the new bypass leading to Vallarta, where many have been intercepted.
Despite everything, the driver continues working: “It’s my need. I entrust myself to God and we keep working. If the day is tough, I know something can happen to me.” He hasn’t considered changing jobs despite having survived two robberies, one 18 years ago on highways in Jalisco and another eight years ago in Querétaro, “but I’m still here. It’s not that we don’t have ideas to improve, but as a driver, you’re like a nobody.”
He also denounces the lack of trust in the authorities: “I’ve heard from colleagues that there are colluding patrols. Instead of helping us, sometimes they stop us to harass us. They plant things on us or extort us. Instead of security, we feel more vulnerable.”
The only thing he can do, he says, is stay alert and rely on his support network. “When I have something sensitive, I tell my boss myself. They monitor me, but that doesn’t prevent something from happening. It just helps that, if something does happen, at least someone knows where I am.”
Source: milenio
