In the late 1800s and early 1900s in Mexico, the indigenous Yaqui group were almost completely eliminated by the Mexican government. Throughout the 1900s they were moved off their land. The Yaqui group has endured the most persecution in Mexico, and recently the government has continued to build on their land and setting up railway lines, water pipelines, and gas ducts. In an act of protest, the Yaquis have been putting up roadblocks on one of the major highways that facilitates trade and exports from Mexico into the U.S. They have set up blockades on multiple railway lines and asked truckers that go by for money as reparations. The blockades have angered truck drivers because they’ve caused an increase in delivery time, which has led to added costs on merchandise and lower sales. These protests have been happening for years, but last week a trucker ran into one of the roadblocks with his truck and killed a member of the group.
The truckers’ anger towards the Yaquis is understandable, since the protests pose a problem for the trade and the economy in the area, but now that a member of the group has died, I doubt the Yaquis will be backing down anytime soon. The violence is only increasing, the government needs to have discussions with the leading members of the group to focus on the future and the needs of the indigenous peoples. Last August, President Obrador of Mexico visited the protesters and established the Justice Commission for the Yaqui People, which promised a greater voice and better housing. Since then, Yaquis are still being moved out of their houses and have refused to participate in talks. Until the whole Mexican government enacts some change and listens to the community, the roadblocks will continue.
The Yaquis are blocking off a certain region in Mexico that is crucial for the economy. The Yaquis are in the state of Sonora, which is just south of the U.S. Border. The region and the roads there benefit geopolitical strategy for Mexico to boost the economy and facilitate exports and sales in the U.S.