Puerto Vallarta merchant unhappy about Craft Expo in square

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Merchants established in the downtown area of ​​this tourist destination, as well as tenants of the Municipal Market of Cuale, Old Vallarta, and Plaza Malecón, demonstrated against the Craft Expo that was set up on Friday in the Plaza de Armas, considering that in reality is a disguised business and not a cultural event, what they said is unfair competition. 

A representative group of 10 merchants, accompanied by the head of Municipal Markets, Cecilio López, went to the Municipal Presidency, where they were attended by the Secretary-General of the City Council, Felipe de Jesús Rocha Reyes, to express their disagreement that the Municipal Government promote this type of exhibits that where suppose to be indigenous arts but apparently it is purely commercial.

Mother-Tongue-21-February

The main square is invaded by dozens of craft stands, with indigenous people, to commemorate February 21 International Mother Language Day, organized by the Municipal DIF System. 

José Manuel López Infante, a tenant of the Mercado del Cuale, is one of those who participated in this delegation, indicated that they exposed the situation to the general secretary, requesting that it not be the suppliers who benefit from these circumstances and spaces in a disguised manner. 

Mother-Tongue-21-February

“We have detected that the people who are there, although it is true they are indigenous, it is not an expo, it is a business, because we know them, many of them sell wholesale, they have their establishments in Olas Altas or in other places, so we believe that this is where the unfair competition starts”, he pointed out.

López Infante stated: “We agree that there is culture and all those things, we are not going against it, even behind these artisans there are their sponsors who do not show their faces and we have identified them, that is why it is our disagreement that put on a fictitious expo, and in reality it is a business”. 

He recalled that they were affected by Hurricane Nora, the Cuale River flooded their premises and for a few days the authorities allowed them to work in Parque Hidalgo, but they generated a social problem with the merchants on Avenida México, which he said they understood and respectfully complied with the indications to vacate and return to the market even without adequate conditions.

At the meeting, they agreed to appoint a commission to follow up, and in the future achieve consensus for this type of cultural event, ensuring that it is not street vendors or wholesalers who make them unfair competition.

“A smaller commission of two or three people was appointed, that they are going to have the agreements and they are going to inform the merchants; It is one of the markets like this one, another one in Plaza Malecón and another one of the shops on Mexico Avenue, so I heard that they are going to work,” pondered the tenant.

Source: tribunadelabahia.com.mx

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