More than 1,000 businesses, including local stores, small businesses and street vendors, have closed in the Mexican state of Sinaloa since "Chapitos" and "Mayos" went to war against each other for control of the Sinaloa cartel.
According to Sinaloa secretary of economic affairs Ricardo Velarde Cárdenas's statement on Jan. 17, there were 43,600 businesses reported to be open across the state before Sept. 9 of last year, but that number has decreased to 41,500.
"Another rubric that has seen a decrease is the growth of job opportunities, which annually had a growth rate of about 12,000 to 15,000 and that has gone down," Velarde said.
Similarly, Guadalupe Zavala Yamaguchi, head of Culiacán's chamber of commerce, said at least 20 companies, such as chain restaurants and clothing stores, have shut down since Sept. 9.
Yamaguchi also highlighted that sales have gone down by 30 percent in the last four months. She said business owners have requested surveillance patrols and security guards to remain open until 8 p.m.
"We want to extend business hours so that people can go out and purchase things. We want to secure public transport for them so that we can slowly go back to normal," she added.
In early December, authorities in Sinaloa estimated that the economic losses due to cartel-related violence was close to $1 billion. Martha Reyes, the president of Coparmex, an employer's union that represents entrepreneurs in Mexico, said in an interview the group estimates that at least 25,000 jobs have been lost since September. She added she will ask Congress for supplemental help for entrepreneurs, such as soft loans.
Despite efforts, officials in Mexico have failed to contain cartel wars raging on in Sinaloa. According to Mexican news outlet Noroeste, 73 people have been killed across the state in January alone, an average of 4.6 per day.
Originally published on Latin Times
