The Latin American Report # 321

A tragedy derived from the humanitarian crisis

At least 16 people are reported dead in Haiti following the explosion of a tanker truck that crashed while transporting fuel in the Nippes region, in the southwest of the Caribbean country. People were reportedly approaching to collect the flammable liquid when the deadly explosion occurred, with some 40 injured being treated temporarily at the hospital in the coastal town of Miragoâne, 100 kilometers west of the capital.

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Mexico

Lemon growers in Michoacán continue their unequal struggle against organized crime, which extorts them to extract profits from every kilo of lemon they harvest. In the town of Buenavista Tomatlán a farmer was allegedly murdered by hired killers on Friday, in what the strikers claim was a settling of scores for having refused to continue paying extortion. As a result, the citrus growers stopped their activities indefinitely, demanding protection from the authorities. Just a month ago they were on strike for the same reason.

Up to five cartels are engaged in the extortion business in Michoacán, which supposes hundreds of dollars in losses each month for the farmers. The criminal organization that allegedly ordered the murder of the farmer charges them approximately 20 cents per kilogram of lemons. “Those who have not paid for a week, 15 days or a month are having their orchards burned with drones [to break them]. Violence is at its peak and the solution is not the presence of the military, but to act on those responsible,” denounces a local clergyman.

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Destroyed vehicles with handmade armor in Sonora

Aztec authorities destroyed five vehicles equipped with steel plates, improvised but effective armor, and artillery zone, seized to organized crime in the rugged region of Sonora, bordering Arizona. “[These vehicles] provide enormous security [criminals] because [...] they are armored with heavy-caliber plates, so it is difficult to destroy them with a common weapon”, said an official from Mexico's Attorney General's Office.

Sewage

For a month, the population of a neighborhood in the Mexican municipality of Chalco has been battling flooding, which merges with sewage and compromises their health and mobility. The drainage system is obsolete, which is coupled with the uncontrolled population growth experienced by the locality. One resident told AP that in August the sewage reached her navel inside the house. “All these days I have not been able to work cause I need to take care of my belongings”, she says.

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And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.