Industrial roads remain blocked after they were taken by thousands of dissatisfied protestors before the price drop in corn and grain. They are demanding that the Governor, Miguel Márquez Márqu, provide a solution.
As of Wednesday morning about one hundred farmers are still blocking the passage to motorists on Salamanca-Celaya road as well as four lanes of Irapuato-Abasolo. Farmers spent the night in the roads and warned they will continue their presence there until they get an answer from the state governor.
Traffic has become chaos, causing immense rows of vehicles from the junction Cueramaro from federal highway 45 to Center of Abastos de Irapuato.
In the Villagrán State Highway, at the height of El Caracol, Federal Police diverted motorists towards the municipality of Juventino Rosas to get to Highway 45.
However, the farmers learned of the detour and blocked access of Villagrán Juventino Rosas, Irapuato – La piedad, Irapuato-Penjamo, before arriving at Abasolo; as well as the free road Celaya-Salamanca to the highway which leads to Mexico City.
Diego González, one of the seven leaders of the protesting farmers, said last night that they will continue the sit-in until the State Government resolves the problems regarding the price of grains.
“If we do not have an answer at noon on Thursday, we are considering also taking the airport, the toll booths and even the Cervantino Festival,” they warned.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Government, Antonio Salvador Garcia Sanchez, reached federal highway 95 at the Cueramaro junction to negotiate with the protestors, where he informed them that the Governor would address them at 5pm:
“If they don’t want to talk we have to exhaust the dialogue, we are inviting you to five in the afternoon – they said that at 2:30″.
State officials said they could change the time provided there is willingness by the protestors to open traffic for 15 minutes, he asked the leaders to do so. Then, just before 1:30pm they withdrew without reaching an agreement.
Meanwhile, both sides agreed to release traffic on the roads every hour for 15 minute intervals.
Per state authorities about 100 public security forces are in place with anti-riot equipment; present are federal police, emergency stagg from Guanajuato (SUEG), and firefighters.
Recall that yesterday shortly before 11 o’clock in the morning, protestors blocked the highway to Salamanca, Nuevo-Irapuato city, Salamanca-Valle de Santiago; They also threatened to advance to the center of Guanajuato capital, where the Cervantino International Festival (FIC) is developing to exert pressure against the State Government.
Meanwhile trailers that have become stranded since yesterday morning becoming annoyed got down from their vehicles and asked the protestors to open traffic so they can make their deliveries.
In addition they said they already have no money to buy food because they have been exploited by people in power who offer cakes and soft drinks at 30 or 40 pesos.
About seven truck drivers exchanged words with the farmers who still refuse to give up the road blockades.