From 7 a.m., the nurses and health workers traveled to four highway points, surrounding the metropolitan area of the city of Zacatecas and the municipality of Guadalupe. Photo: Courtesy of Zacatecas Online.
Zacatecas, Zac. Nurses and workers of Section 39 of the National Union of the Ministry of Health, intermittently blocked four federal highways that connect Zacatecas with San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, Durango and Guadalajara, in protest against the failure of the governor, David Monreal Ávila, to pay debts of the State Program for the Professionalization of Nursing and Social Work. of 300 nurses, to whom the local administration owes more than 50 million pesos.
Led by Norma Angélica Castorena Berrelleza, sectional general secretary, from 7 a.m., the nurses and health workers moved to four highway points, surrounding the metropolitan area of the city of Zacatecas and the municipality of Guadalupe.
The blockades were carried out on federal highway number 45 north, which leads to Durango, just at the height of the El Jorobado bridge, which is the road distributor at the entrance to the city of Fresnillo; also on Federal Highway 45 South, which leads to San Luis Potosí, at the height of the Regional Security Unit (Unirse) – a highway surveillance base operated by the Ministry of Public Security of Zacatecas, in the community of Las Arcinas.
In addition, other blockades were carried out on Federal Highway 54, which leads to Guadalajara, at the height of the Unir in the community of Malpaso, and at the Capufe toll booth located in the community of Osiris, which communicates with Aguascalientes. The blockades were carried out intermittently: half an hour of blocking, and then the roads were released for 15 minutes to traffic.
Regarding this action, Norma Angélica Castorena Berrelleza, declared that the occupation of roads was an action, she said, due to the “repeated closure of the state government, through the Health Services, which does not want to pay and recognize the right won by nurses and social workers, who have been on a fighting footing since January 7, with constant demonstrations in the entity.”
“The government of David Monreal Ávila evades its responsibility, saying that this demonstration has a political background, but it is not like that, this is labor and legitimate, it is a dignified struggle for our acquired, won rights.”
But, in addition, the leader of the health union in Zacatecas said that after more than a month of public protests without being attended, this Wednesday, February 11, they will continue to carry out “radical measures”, which have to do with new protests in the state’s hospital system.
“Tomorrow we have a day of sit-downs, in five general hospitals in the state and 12 community hospitals, where only emergencies and critical medicine will be attended, but all other non-essential areas are closed. The health personnel are already upset by this closure of the government of Zacatecas, and they are violating our rights.”
Castorena shared on his social networks a new letter that he has sent to Rosa Icela Rodríguez, head of the Ministry of the Interior, requesting her direct intervention in this problem, which has been dragging on since May 2025, and it is necessary, he said, for the federal government to bring order to Zacatecas.
“There has to be someone who puts order, the federal government, the Ministry of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, there has to be an authority that puts order, that reviews the agreements, that enforces everything that is published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, because gentlemen, we are in a terrible degree of impunity. We are not asking for anything outside the law.”
The administration headed by the governor, David Monreal Ávila, through the Ministry of Health of Zacatecas, “has failed to comply with signed agreements, directly affecting 288 nurses and 12 social workers, has evaded its administrative responsibility and has chosen to disqualify a legitimate lawsuit.”
Source: La jornada
