This Wednesday, June 24, the Mexican Alliance of Transport Organizations (AMOTAC) will launch a nationwide strike, including blockades on key highways connecting major cities like Mexico City and Puebla. The action is set to begin around 7:00 a.m., aiming to spotlight the ongoing extortion and corruption that truckers face on the country’s roads.

The timing is strategic: the blockades will take place just hours before the Mexican national soccer team’s match, ensuring maximum visibility for their cause. AMOTAC’s protest highlights not only the threats from organized crime but also alleged abuses by some authorities, including demands for bribes and inflated fees.

Key locations expected to be affected include:
– Federal highway to Huejotzingo
– Vía Atlixcáyotl
– Cuacnopalan-Oaxaca highway near Tehuacán
– Mexico-Puebla toll road
– Highway to El Seco
– Perote-Veracruz highway
– Calpulalpan highway
– Santa Ana Chiautempan-Puebla shortcut
– Apizaco-Veracruz highway
– Mexico-Querétaro toll road
– Mexico-Pachuca toll road
– Avenida José López Portillo
– Vía Morelos

Drivers should stay alert for updates and consider alternative routes, as the scale and duration of blockades may shift depending on police interventions and protest developments.

AMOTAC’s demands go beyond security concerns. They also call for the elimination of costly municipal permits required to enter certain cities for deliveries, which they argue hinder the free flow of goods. Additionally, the group denounces exorbitant towing fees, with some operators forced to pay between 80,000 and 250,000 pesos to recover their vehicles—an expense they deem abusive.

While the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC) has announced it will not join the strike, AMOTAC’s mobilization underscores the urgent need to address systemic issues affecting transport workers. For a country where efficient and safe transportation is vital to economic and social inclusion, these protests shed light on the challenges faced by those who keep Mexico moving.