By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat
Early this morning, the Mercado Central of Acapulco, Guerrero was consumed in a fire, with local news reporting that as many as 400 stands were incinerated. So far, there is no indication of the cause of the fire, but in past years organized crime groups have burned portions of the market to exert control over sellers.
At 5:30 a.m., the governor of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado, reported that there are no victims of the fire. The mayor of Acapulco, Abelina López, also stated that an investigation is underway to discover the cause of the fire.
While the cause of this fire is so far unknown, there is a pattern of arson attacks against markets by local criminal groups as a method of pressuring businesses to pay extortion fees in the city.
The Mercado Central de Acapulco is the largest market in Acapulco, with hundreds of stands selling everything from local food dishes to arts and crafts. It is several blocks from the port of Acapulco, on the western side of the city.
Over the last decade, there have been numerous events displaying that criminal groups have been involved in this market by extorting sellers and selling drugs. On several occasions, armed men have burned stands at night and gunned down workers, most often linked to extortion. A report by El Sol de Acapulco tallied up attacks and found that between October 2021 and September 2022, around 180 stands were burned by criminals related to extortion in markets around the city, many of these at the Mercado Central.
In a March 2023 interview with Latinus, Enrique Castro Soto, a representative for a business union in Acapulco said that in addition to increases in homicide, there is an increase in extortion of businesses.
In February 2022, 80 stands were burned by armed men in a nighttime attack at the Tianguis Campesino, a market bordering the Mercado Central. Police sources consulted by newspaper Diario said that the attack was related to widespread extortion of sellers by a criminal group.
A year before, in March 2021, five stands were burned in a similar manner following a shootout between armed men and local police.
In April 2021, around 20 stands were burned in simultaneous attacks at markets around Acapulco, four of them at the Mercado Central. TV Azteca reported that these attacks were also related to extortion.
In response to criminality in the market, government forces will periodically conduct operations typically netting several alleged drug dealers carrying firearms.
Sellers at the Mercado Central do not only suffer at the hands of criminal groups. In May of 2020, sellers protested against extortion and abuse from State and Municipal Police, who they claim have beaten and robbed some sellers.
Sources: Proceso, Diario.mx, TV Azteca, El Sol de Acapulco, El Sol de Acapulco, El Sol de Acapulco, El Sol de Acapulco Report, Latinus
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I tweet about organized crime in Latin America and security in Mexico.