Acapulco, halfway through its recovery after Otis

Acapulco Guerrero. More than 10,000 members of the National Guard are stationed in the port of Acapulco to help with economic reactivation and directly attack extortion by organized crime, said the governor of Guerrero, Evelyn Salgado Pineda, in a meeting with businessmen, including them Carlos Slim and Francisco Cervantes, president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE).

According to what was stated by the governor, as of April 16 there were 8,612 rooms available out of a total of 19,600 that existed before Otis. Half of the supply that existed before the hurricane has not yet been recovered; However, Salgado weighed: “after all this, which was devastating, I think we have been rising in leaps and bounds.”

In a conversation with the media, the governor reported that 184 hotels have reopened, 62 percent of the 297 that were in the port as of October 24. Of those that have returned to operation, 22 are in the Diamond zone, 73 in the Golden zone, 13 in Pie de la Cuesta and 76 in the Traditional zone. In addition, 36,545 businesses of all types have reopened in Acapulco and 2,144 more in Coyuca de Benítez.

Half a million permits

The president of the CCE, Francisco Cervantes, pointed out that the Acapulco city council is charging for remodeling permits up to 500 thousand pesos, which has also become an obstacle to accelerating reconstruction, especially in condominiums, which are another part of the tourist offer that the port of Guerrero has.

“In the La Costera part there has been a lot of progress, above 85 percent. The problem is in the Diamante part,” said the leader of the business leadership. He accused that the municipal presidency (led by Abelina López Rodríguez) charges up to 500 thousand pesos to each department for the remodeling permit in the port.

“It makes me sad to say it, but it is worth it for the municipal president to have the sensitivity to help us,” the businessman said in a conversation with the media. He considered that a permit of 500 thousand can be understood under normal conditions, but not in a situation like the one Acapulco experienced.