Cancún Motorcycle Taxi Drivers Protest After Two Vehicles Torched

Cancún, Quintana Roo — About 140 motorcycle taxi drivers paraded past the Municipal Palace on Monday to demand better security, saying they have been targeted by extortion threats, assaults and the deliberate burning of their vehicles.

The drivers, affiliated with the CROC, Fesoc and Isla Cun unions, arrived along Avenida Tulum behind a tow truck carrying two mototaxis that were set on fire intentionally last week. The caravan passed in front of City Hall with drivers honking their horns before parking nearby.

Leopoldo Arias, secretary general of the Fesoc mototaxi drivers, said the group has reported the attacks and extortion attempts for five months, but a working group set up by the State Prosecutor’s Office along with state and municipal authorities has failed to curb the violence.

“They should do their job — it’s shameful what the operators are going through,” Arias said.

He said someone firebombed the union’s offices last week, a mototaxi was burned on Saturday, and one of the group’s drivers was stabbed on Thursday.

Municipal officials invited the three union leaders inside for a private meeting while their members continued the demonstration outside.