The productive sector of Jalisco agreed to lift the “red code” after the violent events of February 22nd following the capture and subsequent death of Rubén “N”, known as “El Mencho”, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and activities gradually began on Tuesday, February 24th , although the economic losses are in the millions.
According to the Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (Coparmex) Jalisco , last Sunday, 81% of the companies affiliated with this organization reported disruptions to their operations , mainly due to cancellation of services, suspension or temporary reduction of work, logistical disruptions and difficulty in transporting employees to their workplaces.
On Monday, February 23, 69% of businesses had no operations , while those that did operate did so on a limited basis. Furthermore, 88% of businesses reported financial losses, which exceeded one million pesos for medium and large companies, while micro and small businesses reported losses of between 10,000 and 50,000 pesos .
Alfredo Cárdenas, vice president of the Board of Directors of the Council of Industrial Chambers of Jalisco (CCIJ) , commented that it has been agreed to lift the “red code” to normalize work throughout Jalisco; however, the security committee will be in permanent session to address any incidents that may occur.
“We have agreed to maintain the active coordination protocol between security forces, to maintain a presence throughout the state, especially on federal and state highways. I want to acknowledge the collaboration of the community, workers, businesses, transporters, and service providers for their support in resuming activities,” he stated in an interview with T21.
The representative of the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (Canacar) in Jalisco also mentioned that truckers are suffering from tollbooth closures, blockades, and checkpoints, a situation that has a significant economic impact, resulting in daily losses of 10,000 to 30,000 pesos . He specified that between 1,000 and 2,000 trucks travel through the state each day.
“It is the consequences that bring us several problems. We started working with all the conditions and promises of increased surveillance to prevent any incidents along the way, and we expect more protection. We are eager to work, but we do not want to put the lives of the operators at risk,” he stressed.
He detailed that the effects recorded after the operation by federal forces in Tapalpa were that five food and beverage distribution routes experienced fires, three cargo trucks belonging to their affiliates were burned, and that between Sunday and Monday they had a work absenteeism rate of up to 90%; in addition, 66.7% of companies canceled shifts and a 27.4% partial reduction of shifts was recorded.
He stated that the economic impact is over 100 million pesos and “we are still counting. Today (Tuesday) we have an average absenteeism rate of 3% across the entire industry; specifically, there are industries with higher absenteeism, which has reached 20 percent.”
Given this scenario, Alfredo Cárdenas considered it necessary to have greater prevention measures, increased surveillance on the highways, “to engage in dialogue with the government to determine how we can improve things together as a team, and to continue working to secure further investments. We are working hand in hand with industry, transportation companies, and the government.”
For its part, the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Seasoned Food Industry (Canirac) Jalisco , reported that on Tuesday, February 24, the restaurant sector of the state also resumed activities in accordance with the provisions and safety guidelines of the state government.
Likewise, the Jalisco Hotel Association pointed out that hotels located in the Guadalajara metropolitan area are operating normally and “under strict security and service controls” .
Similarly, the Association of Avocado Producers and Exporters of Mexico (Apeam) will resume activities this Wednesday, February 25, as “the staff of the United States Department of Agriculture are returning to their regular work at the centers,” following the suspension of operations due to the violent events of Sunday, February 22.
“Consequently, the industry can resume operations in Michoacán and Jalisco, reiterating the importance of maintaining at all times the necessary measures to safeguard the integrity and safety of personnel in the field,” said Luis de la Rocha Zazueta, general director of Apeam, in a letter addressed to the members and the packing sector.
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