Porteadores To Take To
Streets Tomorrow Wednesday
The porteadores have once again threatened
to take to the streets and have chosen
tomorrow, Wednesday, as aday of action.
So, once again, the streets in and around
the Central Valley will be the subject of "tortuguismo"
(slowdowns) and possible blockades.
Hopefully, a confrontation between the
porteadores and police will not happen like
it did several weeks ago when a group of
porteadores completely chocked off the
Zapote rotonda and police used force and
tear gas to re-open the intersection.
Germán Lobo, president of the Cámara
Nacional de Porteadores, said he received a
call from the vice-ministro de la
Presidencia, Roberto Thompson, that the
government is working on the solution.
Thompson said that he will be meeting today
with Edwin Barboza, head of the Foro
Nacional de Taxistas (formal taxi union).
However, Lobo assures that he was not
invited to any meeting.
At the heart of the problem is the proposal
by the legislative assembly to modify the
'Commercial Code' that would eliminate
completely the "porteo" or the carrying of
persons by informal taxis.
The problem has been a long standing issue
between the porteadores and the Arias
government that has offered to resolve the
problem, but to do date has not been able
to.
The porteadores haves used and continue to
use the tortuguismo tactic as way of
pressuring the government and legislators to
allow them to work without reprisals from
the law.
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