Industry on the border continues to be affected by assaults and hijacks on truck drivers in Mexico
JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- Truck drivers in Mexico went on strike several times in February raising their voices to have more safety and security at Mexican federal highways.
Concerns were raised as they have been assaulted, hijacked and some even killed in previous years due to the cargo they move and transport to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Thor SalayandÃa with the Mexico's National Chamber of Industry and Transformation (CANACINTRA) says this is a satiety now, as more truck drivers continue to experience violent events in South Mexico.
"I am of the idea that they (truck drivers) should block the country's main roads for longer and cause chaos, there must be a different type of demand," SalayandÃa said.
ABC-7 also spoke with UTEP Professor of Economics and Finance, Dr. Tom Fullerton about the ongoing assaults on Mexican carriers.
Dr. Fullerton said since the current administration by President López Obrador started in 2018, around 85,00 trucks have been hijacked in Mexico.
For him, these assaults are tragic for all truck and cargo drivers in Mexico because it will make it more difficult to recruit and hire more drivers in the future.
Businesses have had significant losses and it is also causing operations to decrease and increase prices for consumers on both sides of the border.
"Fortunately, most of these crimes take place south of the border region. What it's probably doing is dissuading a lot of direct foreign investment that can take place in the interior of Mexico and diverting it towards the northern border states.," Dr. Fullerton said.
He also mentioned, that there may be an acceleration in investments in places like Juarez, Matamoros, Tijuana, and other places that are located directly adjacent to the border.
No more strikes and protests from truck drivers have happened since mid-February of this year.
