Following the recent implementation of a state of siege in Guatemala, the Mexican government has decided to intensify surveillance measures on its southern border. This decision by the Guatemalan administration arises as a direct response to the murder of ten police officers, allegedly carried out by members of criminal structures. Under this state of emergency, the security forces of the neighbouring country are empowered to arrest individuals accused of sedition or terrorism without the need for a court order, for a period of 30 days.
Faced with this panorama of instability, Mexican institutions have mobilized additional resources to shield the passage of the Suchiate River, which serves as a natural delimitation between the two nations. National Guard troops, agents of the National Institute of Migration (INM) and personnel of the Chiapas state police participate in this deployment in a coordinated manner, with the aim of strengthening border controls.
The situation has begun to generate direct repercussions on the social and commercial dynamics of the city of Tapachula. José Elmer Aquiahuatl Herrera, who serves as president of the Association of Established Merchants and Property Owners of Tapachula (ACEPITAP), has expressed his concern about the drastic reduction in the influx of Guatemalan citizens who usually cross the border to make purchases.
Aquiahuatl Herrera stressed that the region’s economy depends largely on visitors from Guatemala, whose commercial activity represents one of the main sources of income for local businesses in the border area.
Demands of the business sector
On the other hand, representatives of the commercial sector have requested that surveillance work be permanent and rigorous. Roberto García Zenteno, a merchant based in Tapachula, made an emphatic call to the authorities to maintain the protection after the measure decreed by the Guatemalan president, Bernardo Arévalo.
García Zenteno recalled that more than a decade ago, approximately 12 or 13 years ago, the region experienced moments of high tension when groups known as the ‘Maras’ launched direct threats against the city, a crisis that at that time was mitigated thanks to the timely intervention of the security forces.
Source: KCH
