The recent extension of restrictions on non-essential road crossings on border bridges by the United States has created different attitudes for or against the measure, for merchants in the city of El Paso, the decision affects up to 90 percent of sales. , the mayor of the city, to abide by the federal decisions of the three countries.
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Mayor Oscar Lesser realizes that in the case of Juarez and El Paso, they are two cities that breathe the same air and have become a geographic community with only one characteristics, and that business in both cities depends on all border residents. It also recognizes the need to wait for the decisions of the federal governments to decide the best moment to open the borders.
“It is important that the federal authorities of both countries jointly decide the right moment to reopen the borders, because we breathe the same air and we are a regional community,” Major Lesser said.
For their part, the downtown merchants, located near the border bridges, El Paso Street and Stanton Street, said sales at their business have remained below 90 percent, since the crossings ban was imposed on Mexicans.
In December 2020, merchants in the downtown area complained about the extension of the transit ban for Mexicans that was kept monthly, today Joel Hernandez of “La Quinta” store specializing in women’s lingerie retail and wholesale, resigned by a new extension of the restriction of crossings until August 21, 2021, Buyers from Mexico account for 90 percent of their sales.
Very little has improved on the sales side, said an employee at Casa Mil Colores on El Paso Street named Lupita, but what really makes the downtown business strong are the Mexicans who cross daily.
“We have left closing bridges in very bad shape, in recent weeks a little more has been sold, but the good ones are from Juarez, they buy well, but we hope they open the bridges in August and that’s vaccinated everyone,” said MillColors employee.
Regarding the responsibility of crossing people, Mayor Oscar Lesser indicated that the three countries have to do their part to reopen the crossings that are not essential, but they must be safe, both for individuals and for trade.
“We all have to do our part so that the flow of people and commerce is safe, and many companies in this city are missing their customers in Mexico and are waiting for them with open arms,” Oscar Lesser said.
He explained that one of the important points of opening the non-essential crossings is the vaccination program that has been implemented in both cities, including the efforts made by El Paso County to vaccinate the assembly workers in Ciudad Juarez, and finally a municipal official stated that the federal counterparts who make the decisions to determine when the crossings will open Unnecessary fully supported by the city.
“We will continue our vaccination efforts on both sides of the border, support the county’s actions to vaccinate maculatumas, and we work closely with our federal counterparts and have the municipality’s support in this regard,” Mayor Lesser said. .
Department of Foreign Relations (SRE), Mexicans’ restrictions on non-essential land crossings into the United States (US) will be maintained until 11:59 p.m. on August 21, 2021 in all northern states of the neighboring country.
