Photo: Twitter @lahoragt

Guatemala City, January 25 (RHC)-- Truck drivers in Guatemala began this Monday an indefinite strike in the country to demand the government of Alejandro Giammattei repeal Agreement 17-2020 that establishes the mandatory contracting of insurance for damages to third parties.

The representatives of the trucking sectors indicated that the strike will continue, including road blocks, until their demands are met.  This after the President's decision to delay the contracting of insurance and to give 30 months to those who already have lines to acquire it.

According to a communiqué from the Unión de Transportistas Guatemaltecos (Unitransgua), the demonstrators will be at strategic points of the country.  The union also announced demonstrations in front of the headquarters of the Departmental Government and municipalities, to denounce that they are "affected because the price of the basic basket of goods has gone up and is not enough to pay for insurance". 

They also plan to mobilize in front of the Constitutional Court to demand the resolution of the files related to the insurance.

Over the weekend, the Guatemalan government published the agreement that grants a new extension to urban and extra-urban collective carriers, as well as cargo units.  The regulation was expected to be in force until February 2, 2022, now it will be until next August.