Street vendors allege they are being harassed and extorted by city inspectors, who reportedly demand payments of 3,000 pesos to allow them to work temporarily.
Julio Cano Novelo, president of the “Fausto Leonel Villanueva Marrufo” association in the Luis Donaldo Colosio neighborhood, stated that local authorities are putting those trying to start businesses to support their families in a difficult position.
For his part, merchant Enrique N. opined that municipal personnel have launched a witch hunt against street vendors and small businesses in the city.
He explained that when the minimum requirements are not met, the agents threaten to place closure seals; however, they claim there is another way to resolve the issue through an alleged bribe ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 pesos, depending on the size of the establishment.
Cano Novelo recounted that three days ago, inspectors removed a fruit vendor from Lázaro Cárdenas del Río Park, located in the Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta neighborhood. The vendor had set up there temporarily to earn a living.
Despite the vendor’s vulnerable situation, the inspectors allegedly forced him to pay 3,000 pesos without issuing any official receipt, warning him that he would also have to pay a fee to the municipal treasury.
The association leader stated that, in addition to persecuting informal vendors, the authorities are also harassing small business owners, bleeding the Playa del Carmen economy dry.
“We are organizing in the Colosio neighborhood because we made a mistake in the last elections. We will not allow any more outsiders to come and plunder our economy,” Cano Novelo emphasized.
Enrique N. agreed that there is a palpable sense of panic among small businesses, as the inspectors are using any pretext to demand money.
Source: poresto
