[ad_1]
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Mexican government sent 25,000 troops to Acapulco after the resort was hit by Hurricane Otis on Oct. 25, but that apparently didn’t stop the violence this week.
Acapulco’s main business chamber reported that around 90% of the city’s passenger vans were out of service due to gang threats and attacks, impacting the resort’s main mode of transportation. The chamber of commerce said it was forced to close early on Thursday and Friday due to the violence.
“Ninety percent of public transport was shut down because organized people with no conscience or commitment to Acapulco carried out criminal acts in broad daylight and threatened civilians with direct armed attacks,” said Alejandro of the National National Council.・Written by Chairman Martinez Sidney. Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Services of Acapulco.
“If this situation continues, we will be forced to close our operations,” he said in a statement Thursday. The problem continued into Friday, with few vans or buses seen on the roads.
Martinez Sidney was apparently referring to attacks on privately owned and operated passenger vans in recent days. Local media reported that at least three vans were set on fire, a tactic often used by gangs to extort daily protection payments from van drivers.
The Category 5 hurricane killed 52 people, left 32 missing, and caused extensive damage to nearly every hotel in the resort.
The government has promised to build around 30 barracks for the paramilitary National Guard in Acapulco. But despite the large numbers of troops now on the streets, the drug gang violence that has plagued Acapulco for almost two decades appears to be continuing.
Acapulco’s economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism, and the city has relatively few tourists, in part because only about 4,500 hotel rooms have been restored, and the city’s This is just a small portion of the tens of thousands of rooms that existed.
In addition, the government is also sending about 3,000 federal employees to assist with reconstruction and repair efforts, which means they are occupying many of the hotel rooms.
Violence is not uncommon in the once-glam resort, and even in the first hours after the hurricane, nearly every large store in the city was looted while police and soldiers stood by.
[ad_2]
Source link
