Fourteen artisans from the municipality of Aldama publicly denounced artisan and marketer Alberto López Gómez on March 21st, accusing him of owing them a total of 572,800 pesos for textile work delivered several years ago, which remains unpaid.
The affected artisans stated that López Gómez, known for his brand Kuxul Pok (Living Garment) and for his participation in international events such as Fashion Week in the United States, has systematically failed to honor payment agreements, despite signed documents and prior commitments.
Marcelina, one of the aggrieved artisans, explained that her personal debt amounts to 144,500 pesos, accumulated over five or six years.
“He pays me for one piece to keep me quiet, and then he asks for more crafts, and the debt keeps growing,” she explained, warning that there are more women in the same situation.
For her part, Antonia, another of those affected, stated that the promoter—who is also of Tsotsil origin—has stopped answering her calls and text messages.
In her case, the debt is 93,500 pesos for pieces delivered three or four years ago.
Among the garments delivered and not paid for are: ceremonial huipiles valued at up to 10,000 pesos; huipiles valued at less than 4,000 pesos; rebozos; dresses; gabanes; and blouses of various prices.
One of the critical points of the complaint refers to a special order placed in November 2022.
According to the artisans, Alberto López requested specific pieces (shawls, scarves, ponchos, and cushions) with particular colors and designs to be delivered to the National Football League (NFL) in the United States.
“He told us he urgently needed the pieces, and we asked family members for help to fulfill the order. We’ve been waiting for that payment for three years and four months,” they stated.
Although a payment schedule was established on December 15th, which was supposed to conclude on March 3rd, the promoter failed to meet the agreed-upon payments.
The artisans emphasized that they are not willing to give away their work and that, if they do not receive an immediate response, they will escalate their complaint to state and federal authorities.
“We are going to ask Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum to intervene because there is a lot of work to be done. The smallest amount he owes is 12,500 pesos, but there are debts as high as 144,000,” they stated.
Finally, they mentioned that, although they know López Gómez’s family in the community of Huxtón, he apparently no longer maintains contact with them and does not live in the area, which has made direct mediation difficult.
Source: proceso
