Freddy Rosales, the president of the Association of Vegetable Producers in the municipality of Jáuregui, reported that, five days after the start of the transporter's strike, approximately 10,000 tonnes of forty different vegetables from Tachira haven't been distributed to the rest of the country. 800 transporters, i.e. 70% of the total, are on strike.
The protest arose after the murder of 20 year-old Carlos Manuel Roa, who died a day after being shot on March 12 in a robbery in Petare.
Although the strike has been rejected by some producers, Rosales argued on its behalf. "There are producers who are upset because they are losing their products, but we're losing our lives when we are robbed on the roads, at the points of sale and at the fairs; and that's more important."
He added that it was hard risking their lives in the outlets, because they could get robbed and killed.
He criticized that, to date, no government official had contacted them and asked the ministers of Agriculture, Food and Transport to hear their complaints and proposals.
One of their proposals is that the Executive includes the vegetable fairs in a program that would help eliminate extortion.
Source: Noticiaaldia.com