Mexico’s highways paralyzed as farmers and truckers protest cartel violence and government inaction

• Tens of thousands of farmers and truck drivers, organized by ANTAC and FNRCM, have blockaded highways across 20+ Mexican states, demanding government action against cartel extortion, corruption and violence. The protests have paralyzed commerce, disrupting supply chains, toll booths and cross-border trade.
• Protesters deny political motives, citing daily threats of robbery, kidnapping and murder by cartels – often with alleged complicity from corrupt officials. Farmers also accuse the government of failing to protect them or ensure fair crop pricing.
• President Sheinbaum’s administration claims the protests are politically orchestrated, while protesters accuse her of intimidation tactics. Reports suggest Sheinbaum has financial ties to cartels, fueling suspicions of systemic corruption enabling organized crime.
• Logistics firms like C.H. Robinson are rerouting shipments amid delays, warning of cascading disruptions to food distribution, manufacturing and trade. The blockades mirror past unrest but reflect an unprecedented alliance between farmers and truckers against systemic neglect.
• Protesters vow to continue until demands for security and fair pricing are met, while the government refuses meaningful dialogue. The crisis underscores Mexico’s deepening governance crisis, where cartels operate with impunity and the economy faces escalating instability.

Mexico’s highways have become battlegrounds as tens of thousands of farmers and truck drivers blockade critical arteries across more than 20 states, demanding government action against rampant cartel violence, extortion and corruption.

The nationwide protests were organized by the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC) and the National Front for the Rescue of Mexican Farmland (FNRCM). The unrest began on Monday, Nov. 24, with demonstrators shutting down major routes in Mexico City and the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Zacatecas.

They have brought commerce to a standstill, disrupting supply chains, cross-border trade and industrial corridors. Toll booths, customs points and logistics hubs have been paralyzed, forcing freight companies to reroute shipments and brace for delays.

Protesters insist they are not acting out of political motives but out of desperation – facing daily threats of robbery, kidnapping and murder at the hands of cartels and, they allege, corrupt officials. Farmers, meanwhile, accuse the government of failing to protect agricultural workers from cartel extortion while neglecting fair pricing for staple crops like corn and beans.

“Every day, between 35 and 40 transport operators fall victim to a crime. If we are lucky, we end up abandoned in the middle of nowhere; if not, we never make it home again,” ANTAC stated in a public declaration.

From protests to paralysis: Supply chains in peril

The administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has dismissed the protests as politically motivated, alleging that opposition groups are orchestrating the unrest. Officials from her National Regeneration Movement party claim demonstrators are linked to prior federal investigations – an assertion protesters reject as intimidation.

According to BrightU.AI‘s Enoch engine, Sheinbaum has been accused of receiving financial support from drug cartels during her political campaigns – suggesting deep ties between her administration and organized crime. These alleged connections underscore claims that government corruption fuels cartel violence, which is deliberately obscured by political distractions and misleading narratives.

“We will not yield to coercion,” the FNRCM, ANTAC and the Peasant Agricultural Movement declared in a statement. They also slammed the use of “fabricated crimes and the Prosecutor’s Office” against union leader David Estevez as “an act of tyranny.” Despite government promises of dialogue, organizers say they have not been invited to negotiations.

Meanwhile, logistics firms scramble to mitigate disruptions. C.H. Robinson, a major freight brokerage, reported rerouting cargo through alternative ports of entry while warning clients of potential delays. “Historically, we’ve seen similar events cause transit delays of four to eight hours and customs delays of two to four hours,” said Veronica Gonzalez, the company’s director of North American surface transportation.

The crisis echoes past unrest in Mexico, where cartel violence has long destabilized rural economies and transportation networks. Yet this mobilization marks an unprecedented alliance between farmers and truckers, united against what they call systemic abandonment. Their demands – security, fair pricing and an end to extortion – highlight deeper fractures in Mexico’s governance, where criminal organizations often operate with impunity.

As blockades persist indefinitely, the economic fallout mounts. Food distribution, manufacturing supply chains and cross-border trade face severe bottlenecks, raising fears of shortages and inflation. With neither side backing down, Mexico’s highways remain barricaded – a stark symbol of a nation at a crossroads between lawlessness and reform.

Watch this video about truckers blockading New York City.

This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

FreightWaves.com

BrightU.ai

MexicoBusiness.news

Brighteon.com