The blockades led by Sinaloa farmers at various points in Sonora continue to have a direct impact on mobility and regional commerce, although partial progress was made on Thursday after a day of pressure that paralyzed border crossings and fiscal corridors. The blockade remains in effect in San Luis Río Colorado; however, the Lukeville-Sonoyta and Mariposa border crossings in Nogales have reopened.
The Colorado River Bridge, which connects San Luis Río Colorado with Baja California, remains closed indefinitely, completely preventing the passage of private and cargo vehicles.
In contrast, the Lukeville-Sonoyta border crossing was reopened to traffic after negotiations between the protesters and the state government, which allowed for the partial restoration of vehicular traffic in this border area, vital for trade and tourism.
In Nogales, after several hours of total blockade, the Mariposa border crossing was reopened today, as confirmed by Martín Lim, representative of the Frente por el Rescate del Campo (Front for the Rescue of the Countryside) movement. However, the protesters warned that they will return to the customs area tomorrow, keeping the risk of another shutdown alive.
During the height of the protest, access to the customs office, the customs area, and the toll booths was blocked with heavy machinery and mounds of earth, stranding dozens of tractor-trailers and completely halting exports to the United States. The disruption put immediate pressure on the logistics chain and the region’s production sector.
Local truckers distanced themselves from the protest and claimed to be the most affected, trapped in the middle of the conflict with no possibility of moving forward or completing their delivery routes.
Although a partial reopening was achieved this Thursday in Nogales and Sonoyta, the producers remain firm in their position to continue the protests until they receive concrete answers from federal authorities.
Source: jornada
