Despite Agreement With Federal Authorities, AMOTAC Transporters Continue Blocking Roads in Puebla and Chiapas
Although Mexico’s Ministry of the Interior (Segob) and the Ministry of Citizen Security reached an agreement with transporters from the Mexican Alliance of Transport Organizations (AMOTAC), some members of the organization have continued blocking highways in Puebla and Chiapas.
In Puebla, truck drivers have blocked six highways connecting the state with Mexico City, Tlaxcala, and Oaxaca as part of a series of demonstrations announced for June 24.
The protests are being led by AMOTAC, which called for a national strike and demonstrations beginning at 8:00 a.m. on major highways and roads throughout central Mexico to protest alleged abuses and excessive fees imposed by authorities at the municipal, state, and federal levels.
In a statement, the organization said the demonstrations were organized due to the lack of response from federal, state, and municipal authorities to their demands.
Transporters alleged they have been subjected to administrative fines and fees that, in some cases, exceed 80,000 pesos. They also claimed that recovering impounded vehicles can cost as much as 250,000 pesos. Additionally, they accused authorities of working with towing companies to impose excessive charges.
Among AMOTAC’s main demands are:
- An end to alleged extortion for operating within municipalities.
- Greater security on state and federal highways.
- A review of towing service rates.
- An end to alleged abuses by municipal, state, and federal authorities.
- Measures to stop increases in fuel prices.
- An end to alleged irregularities by prosecutors’ offices regarding the return of impounded vehicles.
Roadblocks in Puebla on June 24: Locations
The organization announced demonstrations at several locations, including the Mexico–Querétaro, Mexico–Pachuca, Mexico–Pirámides, Mexico–Cuernavaca, and Mexico–Puebla highways, as well as the Chalco–Mexico Highway, Vía Morelos, the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense, Arco Norte, José López Portillo Avenue, and various locations throughout Mexico City.
The protests also extended into Puebla, a key transportation hub connecting Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Oaxaca, and Tlaxcala. The highways expected to be affected include:
- Mexico–Puebla Highway
- Cholula–Huejotzingo Highway
- El Seco–Audi Highway
- Cuacnopalan–Oaxaca Highway (Tehuacán)
- Vía Atlixcáyotl
- Vía Corta a Tlaxcala
Truck Drivers Demonstrate in Two Cities in Chiapas
In Chiapas, hundreds of members of the Mexican Alliance of Transport Organizations (AMOTAC) demonstrated along the highway connecting Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Chiapa de Corzo.
Drivers of freight vehicles, including tractor-trailers, as well as passenger transportation operators such as vans and mototaxis, gathered along the roadside early Wednesday morning as part of coordinated demonstrations taking place across all 32 Mexican states.
In an interview with La Silla Rota, Omar Flores Vázquez, AMOTAC’s legal representative, said one of the organization’s main concerns involves transporting water in tanker trucks, as drivers could now face criminal charges.
According to Flores Vázquez, the issue stems from amendments to Article 123 Bis of Mexico’s National Water Law, which, they argue, requires anyone transporting water in tanker trucks, storage tanks, or similar containers to report the water’s origin. Failure to do so could expose drivers or operators to federal criminal charges.
“In Chiapas, we have to recognize that access to drinking water is limited. For that reason, many residents are accustomed to collecting water from wells using donkeys, tanker trucks, or pickup trucks fitted with water tanks,” he explained.
Source: lasillarota
