In a press conference for local media, merchants from the Historic Center of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato denounced the discrimination by Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco by not allowing them to sell products for being “short, brown, and ugly.”
Sandra Granados Guzmán, a merchant, affirmed that Mayor Trejo Pureco warned her and other colleagues that they cannot sell in the center since they are not visually attractive.
“For him we are ugly, we are dark, and he does not like what he sees in the garden when he sees us and he does not like what we sell. I am the third generation, I did not sell yesterday or the day before yesterday. We have 60 years selling; my grandparents and my parents did. I am not going to let this sector, even if it is the mayor, pass over my rights,” said Granados Guzmán.
“Trejo Pureco says that we are short and sends people from the municipality to harass us,” he said. He also said that from that order a series of abuses began by the authorities such as persecutions and confiscation of sales carts and even the products they sell.
Merchants such as Gregoria Almanza, Norma González, and Josué Fernando Cruz Almanza also spoke, stating that San Miguel de Allende is already a town governed by the Mayor’s Law, of the 17 vendors who used to work with a municipal permit in the Center, only eight are left.
Six months ago, Transit elements seized four of the food carts that were working downtown, including the products despite having permits. Merchants also expressed their fear of possible reprisals from the mayor against them or their families.
This is not the first time that the mayor has been accused of discrimination, as representatives of tourist transport and the restaurant sector also denounced the serious effects they have had. Last April when the mayor prevented tourist tram concessionaires from continuing to provide their services, which generated losses of up to $2 million pesos.
Despite having the documents in order, Mayor Mauricio Trejo denied the request that they could continue working because the trams were in the way of the streets. The vehicles were seized and caused considerable losses as it was during the Easter period.
“We have our permits in order, and on a whim, we cannot provide our tourist services,” said Martín Carrera García, owner of the company Turísticos El Mayorazgo.
Mauricio Trejo has closed the La Terraza restaurant four times, which is located next to the clock tower near the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. The representatives of both sectors stated that they have been the target of abuse of power by the mayor. In the last closure of the restaurant, a total eviction was ordered on the grounds that the land use had expired, despite the fact that the lawyer stated that it is paid month by month.
So far, Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco has not commented on the accusations of discrimination against local street vendors in downtown San Miguel de Allende.
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