Twenty rural towns in the municipality of apatzingan They have already been affected by the stoppage of the cutting, packing and marketing of lemons that began two weeks ago due to threats and extortion by organized crime.
These are the communities of El Guayabo, Las Bateas, El Alcalde, La Loma de los Hoyos, Puerta de Alambre, El Mirador, Cahuingas, Holanda, El Mezquital, El Morado, Chiquihuitillo, Altamira, El Pino, Ejido Apatzingán, San Fernando , Tinajas, Los Cuiniques, Guanajuatillo, Los Laureles and part of Acatlán.
Inhabitants of El Guayabo met on Monday morning to find a way to survive, since more than 100 families are affected in that town alone.
“Well, imagine that lemon is the livelihood of all families and we are more than 100. Here we are pure small producers and the lemon plots are 2.5 hectares each,” explained one of the citrus growers.
He regretted that, although they have sought options to get ahead, they only have to wait for the criminals to allow the reactivation of cutting and marketing.
“We have no choice but to wait. In any case, we do not abandon the tasks in the orchards, because we hope that this will be temporary, nothing more,” he indicated.
He explained that in that area what is cut per day is around 2,600 tons of lemon and three days a week they cut, for which they add up to 7,800.
He denounced that, of that total, an organized crime cell intends to take a peso from the producer and a peso from the packer, when even before the strike they were asking for 40 cents.
If they give in, the producers will pay to delinquency, as criminal tax, seven million 800 thousand pesos per week, and the same amount will have to be given by each packer.
The small producer explained that they had not had any problems before, despite the fact that for many years they had paid “the fee.”
But now they have been hit by the crisis that has arisen due to the lack of citrus activity in other parts of the Apatzingán Valley.
“We, as lemon producers, would like the Government to follow its work plan and protect everything; That the criminals don’t charge us and that they let us work, listen. Or are we always going to work just to keep criminals?” claimed the resident of El Guayabo.
Army sends reinforcements to Chihuahua
Yesterday, 400 members of the Army Special Forces arrived in Ciudad juarezChihuahua, to carry out operations in coordination with local authorities to prevent the increase in crime rates.
The troops arrived by air at the Ciudad Juárez International Airport, Chihuahua, in a B-737/800 aircraft belonging to the Mexican Air Force, to reduce the illegal activities of criminal groups, as well as preserve and guarantee freedom, order and security. public peace of the inhabitants of that region of the country.
The Secretary of National Defense (Sedena) stressed that the uniformed personnel will carry out tasks of deterrence, prevention, patrolling, and reconnaissance.
They will also establish military security posts that create an atmosphere of tranquility in the population, adhering to the provisions of the National Law on the Use of Force and respecting human rights at all times.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to ensure and safeguard the well-being of citizens, guaranteeing peace and security.
On Monday, the Sedena reported that 1,200 members of the National Guard (GN) and the Army arrived in Tierra Caliente, Michoacán due to the blockades and shootings that occurred last weekend.
Monday the 28th, the most violent day of the month
At least 100 murders were registered on Monday in the country, the highest number for August, which in the final stretch accumulates 1,993 victims.
An average of 71 people have been victims of intentional homicide daily this month, the majority in Guanajuato, the State of Mexico, Baja California, Chihuahua, Michoacán and Jalisco, in absolute numbers, according to the statistics of the daily report on this crime.
On the aforementioned day, marked by the beginning of the school year nationwide, Chihuahua recorded 17 murders; Lower California, 12; Guanajuato, 10; Guerrero, eight; Michoacán, six; Morelos, six; State of Mexico, five.
At the moment, Monday the 28th remains the most violent day of the month, followed by August 12, with 91 murders; August 6, with 89 and August 18, with 88.
TC
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