Transport entrepreneurs Guatemala They reported on Tuesday that extortion against them has increased, with them paying up to 600 million dollars annually, and they claim that most of the criminal acts against them are concentrated in the southwest of the country and in the capital.
The figure was presented by the president of the Extra-urban Passenger Transport Association, Carlos Videswho during a press conference warned that some 180,000 units are subject to extortion throughout the country, especially those covering routes to the southwest.
The union also reported that during 2024, 97 drivers have been killed under threat of extortion by criminal groups and some 500 workers have decided to leave their jobs for safety.
According to Vides, the transport situation is “worsening” and it has become almost “unsustainable” to maintain operations, since government authorities have not authorized an increase in fares since the service was reactivated in 2021, following the 11-month suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study conducted by the analysis center Dialoguespublished last June, states that so far in 2024, 11,071 complaints of extortion have been registered throughout the country and in June alone, 1,959 cases were recorded.
The study details that most extortions are recorded in Guatemala City and in other municipalities where the largest number of homicide cases are also concentrated, such as Escuintla.
In the first six months of the year, the Ministry of the Interior reported the arrest of 600 people involved in criminal organizations dedicated to this crime. EFE (I)
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