Something as common as buying a beer in an Oxxo store is practically impossible in Taxco, Guerrero.
In the city of Taxco, Guerrero, the Familia Michoacana cartel, in addition to extorting merchants, also decides who sells beer and at what price.
Something as common as buying a beer in an Oxxo store is practically impossible in the magical town. Alcohol is only sold in stores authorized by organized crime.
Even on the door of an Oxxo store located a few meters from the central plaza of Taxco, there is a sign warning that intoxicating beverages are not sold.
In the center of this magical municipality kidnapped by organized crime, five stores can sell alcohol because they have the authorization of the heads of the Michoacán Family (La Familia Michoacana Cartel).
These establishments are located on Miguel Hidalgo Street, a couple of blocks from the municipal presidency.
Each business offers beer at different prices, to make some profit: “The model’s six but a girl? For the small one, it would be 186, for the big brass one, it would be 198”
The average Corona Six-pack sells for 186, on average 31 pesos per beer when its real cost is 19 pesos per can; while three brass cans can be purchased for 198 pesos, around 66 pesos per piece, when its authorized price in any store is around 33 pesos.
In Taxco, no one wants to talk about the extortion that merchants have suffered for years. During 2023, at least four merchants were murdered for refusing to pay the fee; Among the victims are butchers, owners of tortilla shops, and water purifiers.
Tortilleros, grocery stores, butchers, those who sell chicken, taxi drivers, hoteliers, and silver merchants also have to pay a fee. For the latter, the fee is higher due to the profits they make from sales.
The opinion of the mayor of Taxco, Mario Figueroa, was sought, but his press team reported that he would not give interviews allegedly to avoid hindering the investigations that the prosecutor’s office is already carrying out in this case.
When international analysts pointed out that large parts of the Mexican territory were dominated by the cartels, they were not wrong. Despite the statements by President Obrador declaring that this is false, the evidence is right there in the southern state of Guerrero.
Source: OEM
