Protesters continue blocking traffic on Mexico-Puebla Highway in Santa Rita Tlahuapan, Puebla, through at least Aug. 9th.
Demonstrators will likely maintain their ongoing blockade on the Mexico-Puebla Highway near Santa Rita Tlahuapan through at least Aug. 9.
The purpose of the action of the action is to demand financial compensation for the land used to construct the roadway.
The demonstration has so far lasted at least 24 hours, prompting significant traffic congestion along the affected thoroughfare. Participants will likely continue the action until meeting with the authorities.
Authorities will likely maintain a heightened security presence until the demonstration ends. Localized traffic disruptions will likely persist over the coming days.
Clashes between protesters and police cannot be ruled out, especially if authorities attempt to disband the protest forcibly.
The Ejidatarios of Santa Rita Tlahuapan have been demanding for years from the Government what they consider fair payment for their ancestral lands, expropriated 60 years ago to build the highway.
According to the national press, in 2018 the defunct Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) already paid more than 170 million pesos to some 400 inhabitants of the town for the use of their communal lands for the highway, although other residents felt discriminated against and reported that the money had never reached them.
The conflict is escalating and the Government of Puebla accuses the federal government of not acting.
Source: El País
