Tsotsil Artisans Demand Over 500,000 Pesos in Unpaid Wages from Fashion Promoter

SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LAS CASAS, Chiapas — Fourteen Tsotsil artisans from Aldama municipality publicly accused fashion promoter Alberto López Gómez on March 21 of owing them 572,800 pesos for textiles delivered over several years that remain unpaid.

The affected artisans said López Gómez, known for his brand Kuxul Pok (Living Garment) and his participation in international events like Fashion Week in the United States, has systematically failed to honor payment agreements despite signed documents and previous commitments.

Marcelina, one of the aggrieved artisans, detailed that her personal debt totals 144,500 pesos accumulated over five or six years.

“He pays for one piece to keep me quiet, then asks for more crafts and the debt keeps growing,” she explained, warning that more women face the same situation.

Antonia, another affected artisan, said the promoter—who is also of Tsotsil origin—has stopped responding to her calls and text messages. In her case, the debt amounts to 93,500 pesos for pieces delivered three or four years ago.

Among the delivered but unpaid items are:

• Ceremonial huipiles valued at up to 10,000 pesos
• Smaller huipiles worth 4,000 pesos
• Rebozos, dresses, gabanes, and blouses of various prices

The Special NFL Order

One critical point in the complaint involves a special order placed in November 2022. According to the artisans, Alberto López requested specific pieces (rebozos, scarves, gabanes, and cushions) with determined colors and designs to be delivered to the National Football League (NFL) in the United States.

“He told us he urgently needed the pieces, and we asked family members for help to complete them. We’ve been waiting for that payment for three years and four months,” they stated.

Despite establishing a payment schedule on December 15 that should have concluded on March 3, the promoter failed to meet the agreed installments.

The artisans emphasized they are not willing to give away their work and warned that without an immediate response, they will escalate their complaint to state and federal authorities.

“We will ask President Claudia Sheinbaum to intervene because it’s a lot of work. The smallest debt is 12,500 pesos, but there are debts up to 144,000,” they declared.

Finally, they mentioned that although they know López Gómez’s family in the Huxtón community, the accused apparently no longer maintains contact with them and doesn’t reside in the area, complicating direct mediation.