“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat
Video translation is as follows:
Newscaster: In the state of Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala, criminals have now installed road blocks. They demand payments for each truck of food to be allowed through. Jorge Martínez has more details.
Jorge Martínez: The Jalisco New Generation Cartel threatens, harasses, and strangles the border between Mexico and Guatemala. It does so with road blockades that causes famine in several municipalities of Chiapas and economic damage in the neighboring country. For three weeks, according to the inhabitants of the area, the four letters cartel blocked a thoroughfare with a tractor trailer and installed a checkpoint on the highway that runs from Huehuetenango, Guatemala and Comitán, Chiapas. It also keeps traffic partially and sometimes completely obstructed near the international Comalapa border. Trade is paralyzed on the southern frontier. The shelves of the supermarkets look empty, there are no basic foodstuffs. The criminals charge up to 1,500 pesos to let a truck loaded with groceries to pass through and the businessmen refuse to pay the extortion. These images were captured last Sunday at the Bodega Aurrerá store in Frontera Comalapa. In this other video it was documented that the Neto grocery store does not have products. The violence in this region broke out a year ago when the Jalisco New Generation Cartel declared war on the Sinaloa Cartel.
Merchant: It’s been about a year since they arrived here talking a good game, that things would go well with the El Maíz organization, and with their help. In other words, were they pretending to be people who sold corn? No, but as an organization that was going to help people. But afterwards hmm…
Jorge Martinez: There is also no food in stores and groceries in rancherías such as Ojo de Agua, La Cruz, El Matadero, El Chilar, Allende, and Loma de Ocote among others. The passenger vans that travel along the border between different settlements s in Chiapas do not go beyond the Comalapa Border. In addition, drivers are forced to block the road whenever the drug traffickers demands them to do so following a threat.
Merchant: Well, it’s only to block the roads. There are a lot of people who don’t want to work for them anymore. But what can we do? Many individuals have left this area because of this.
Jorge Martinez: About seven minutes from Frontera Comalapa towards Guatemala is the intersection that leads to the town of New Mexico. At this point, a criminal group known as El Maíz set up a checkpoint to detect migrants. They charge 150 pesos to cross into Mexico without permission. It also prohibits the transit of vehicles with Guatemalan license plates. In Guatemala the situation is no better. The economy dies. Every Sunday a clothing swap meet is set up on the borders of Mexico. But for three weeks sales have fallen. Two cartels are currently disputing the border between Mexico and Guatemala. Because it’s a corridor for drug and migrant trafficking that leaves profitable earnings for crime outside of all law and authority.
Bodega Aurrerá stock photo
Bodega Aurrerá store
Frontera Comalapa, Chiapas
México – Guatemala border