A group of “albañiles” (masons), who were traveling in a van, denounced through a video how Uman municipal police officers extort them, asking for “mordida“, so they can continue their journey.
The images show how an municpal police agent approaches the vehicle and asks them for 50 pesos per person to let them go.
“50 pesos por chola (per person), if you want to go” the policeman is heard saying, as he moves away from the vehicle.
Allegedly two of the workers were drinking alcoholic beverages during the journey and that is why they were stopped, however, the police did not proceed against the driver and went directly with the workers to ask for money.
Denuncian supuesta extorsión de policías municipales de #Umán; piden a 50 pesos por persona para permitirles ‘tomar’ en una camioneta pic.twitter.com/7rnR3SKHB4
— Novedades Yucatán (@NovedadesYuc) September 25, 2019
In the video, the masons can be heard telling the agent that $50 pesos is a lot of money for them: “we have to take money to the family, think about the family jefe.”
As the men refise to pay the requested fee, the officer who seems to be the superior approaches the van and tells them threateningly “I have already helped you a lot”.
Finally he asks the driver of the vehicle for his documents.
According to testimonies, this type of extortion practice is common during the weekends, since it is the time when construction workers laboring in Mérida return to their places of origin after working the whole week.
