In the midst of vehicular chaos and informal commerce there are crimes of opportunity such as cell phone theft.
Despite the fact that several hit men have occurred in the entrance sector of the 8 during 2021, those who live and drive in that area consider that the informality of commerce and vehicle disorder is the most worrying, especially in times of greater movement commercial as it happens in December.
Due to this disorder of the street vendors who take to the streets, there was already a comprehensive intervention two weeks ago. That day, not only were the vendors who were occupying sidewalks and streets withdrawn, preventing the passage of cars, but also commercial premises and other businesses where suspicious objects, firearms and even doses of drugs were found. That day fourteen stores were closed and dozens of objects seized.
But Major Ricardo Armas, police chief of the Fortín circuit, mentions that in a report they made known to the Municipality that there is even informal sex work in the area.
“We cannot pursue this situation, it is the responsibility of the Municipality, but there are other situations such as minors who work here,” said the gendarme who assured that he has assigned more uniforms at strategic points, such as under the Perimetral vehicle bridge or in the ditch, where criminals hide.
In the area there are also policemen on foot doing control, but Armas considers that this is insufficient if there is no collaboration from other entities such as the Municipality and the Transit and Mobility Agency (ATM).
“There are peak hours where the circulation space is insufficient, of the three lanes that there are sometimes only one can be used and it is a chaos, that allows the starters to act and not be followed”, mentions the policeman.
Marcia Daquilema sells shoes and clothing in that sector. With some canes every morning, he forms a structure to hang pieces that at this Christmas time are sold like hot cakes, the woman mentions.
She admits that they are obstructing traffic and that she has been evicted from the place on several occasions, as well as dozens of merchants, but indicates that to feed her children she must return and occupy the street.
Xavier Narváez, Director of Justice and Surveillance of the Municipality of Guayaquil, was consulted by EL UNIVERSO. The official admits that for now they are not doing controls in this area of the northwest of Guayaquil, since the priority is the Bay.
“There are frequent operations carried out by the metropolitans, but right now they are all concentrated in the Bay. We don’t have enough staff, ”Narváez mentioned.
He argues that it is a matter of citizen collaboration. “To avoid this disorder, they should not buy from merchants.”
Major Armas also requests controls from other entities, such as the ATM. He requests that they carry out vehicle and motorcycle control, since he considers that in that sector the number of agents assigned is not enough for the number of people who circulate every day.
“There are motorcyclists without helmets, without license plates, and all the time two men go quietly on a motorcycle, which does not happen in Guayaquil because the motorcycle is taken to the canchón (…). We live in no man’s land, ”says Andrés Villota, a passerby waiting for a bus in that area.
Villota lives near the Casuarina market, however, she says there is much more commerce on the streets.
“They do not want to be legalized, there is still space in the market, but people prefer to invade the street even if they cause an accident or they expose themselves to being run over,” says the citizen.
The police chief explains that when pedestrian controls have been carried out at the entrance of the 8th and under the underpass of the Perimetral it has been possible to arrest several subjects who had arrest tickets for different crimes. They walk safely amid the chaos, says Armas, who also requests the presence of the National Agency for Regulation, Control and Sanitary Surveillance (Arcsa) and the Fire Department.
The policeman assures that supposedly in the sector meats or other foods are sold in the streets that are not stored under the minimum standards of sanitation and that most of the premises are irregular, do not have operating permits and that is why the activity is not defined to which they are dedicated.
“Some time ago a place where they sold tails to the informal was intervened, but inside we found drugs and a firearm. It is time for them to be legalized ”, considers the chief in charge of the entrance of the 8, a sector through which it is estimated that more than 400,000 people who live in the cooperatives of Mount Sinai circulate. (I)
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
