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Southern ejidos continue to block highway after rejecting SICT offer of 6.5 million

Graciano Sánchez, Q.R. — A group of ejidos who continue to demand payment for land use blocked a section of a southern highway that leads to Merida. Using large rocks and logs, they have blocked passage from their community of Graciano Sánchez to Mérida for the past three days.

This latest road block is reportedly for the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) land use of 24 hectares. Ejidal Commissariat President Hipólito Sandoval Martínez says the SICT has left them no other choice.

The group began their protest Tuesday morning. Police arrived that night to ensure public order. The ejidos were on site with their blockade until 10:00 p.m. Passage was allowed every hour for those willing to pay a sum of 50 peso.

The land in question was expropriated by the government decades ago for the construction of the Via Corta road they are blocking.

Under AMLO’s administration, the SICT offered the ejidos 6.5 million pesos, but the offer was rejected as a payment and instead, accepted as an advancement on what is owed.

According to Nozarim Espino Solís, the legal advisor of the Graciano Sánchez Ejido, they are requesting one million peso per hectare used. The ejidos say they will resume their demands with the roadblock again at 5:00 a.m. until an agreement is reached.