On Wednesday afternoon, protesters in Nogales, Sonora, blocked motorists trying to cross south into Mexico.
They were demanding tougher action from the Mexican federal government to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The United States and Mexico recently worked out a deal limiting northbound traffic to so-called essential travel. Protest organizer Jose Luis Hernandez said he’d like to see similar measures for those heading into Mexico, but sees almost no actions being taken.
“If the situation gets worse in Mexico,” he said. “The Mexican government doesn’t have the economic or infrastructural capacity to confront it.”
He clarified that the protest wasn’t against the U.S. citizens or other travelers heading into Mexico, who he says bring positive economic benefits to the country. The protest lasted about 90 minutes and affected only one of two of Nogales’ ports of entry.
