Transport and Farmer Protests Paralyze Major Mexican Highways

A nationwide strike by Mexican truckers and farmers began on Monday, April 6, 2026, resulting in the blockade of major highways and freight corridors across at least 20 states. The protests, organized by the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC) and the National Front for the Rescue of the Mexican Countryside (FNRCM), have disrupted access to Mexico City, industrial zones, and several U.S.-Mexico border crossings.

The mobilizations started around 7 a.m. CST, with blockades targeting critical freight routes that connect manufacturing hubs, ports, and customs facilities. The strike is described as indefinite, with local groups in each entity deciding on specific actions, although organizers have not ruled out homogenizing the protests across all participating states.

Demands and Grievances

The strike follows a private meeting where the groups analyzed a counterproposal from the federal government. According to the organizers, the government failed to provide precise positive answers regarding the challenges facing agriculture and food transportation in Mexico.

The protesting groups are demanding several specific interventions from the federal government, including:

• Guaranteed prices for basic grains.
• The establishment of a rural development bank.
• Enhanced security for transporters to combat rising cargo crime.
• Government action against cartel extortion, kidnapping, and violence.
• Addressing high diesel and operating costs.
• Improvements to deteriorating road infrastructure.

Protesters have cited daily threats of robbery and murder by cartels, alleging that these crimes are often carried out with the complicity of corrupt officials. While some reports mention protests regarding reforms to the National Water Law, the primary organizers emphasize the need for security and fair pricing for agricultural products.

Impacted Regions and Infrastructure

The blockades have paralyzed commerce and disrupted supply chains across a wide geographic area. Participating states include Baja California, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Sinaloa, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, State of Mexico, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Morelos.

Specific high-traffic areas identified in the blockades include:

• Entrances to Mexico City, specifically on the Pachuca-Mexico highway and the Arco Norte.
• The Puebla-Mexico highway.
• Road access points in Guadalajara.
• Main highways within the Bajío region.
• The Siglo XXI highway (Puebla-Acapulco) at the Jantetelco junction in Morelos, which began at 9 a.m.
• The Corona Brewery of Grupo Modelo in Calera, Zacatecas, starting at 8 a.m.

The paralysis of these routes has affected toll booths and cross-border trade, creating significant disruptions for the transport of goods between Mexico and the United States.

Context of the Crisis

The current unrest is part of a broader pattern of instability involving the transportation and agricultural sectors. Previous reports from November 2025 indicated similar blockades organized by ANTAC and FNRCM, where tens of thousands of participants demanded government action against cartel violence and government inaction.

The FNRCM and ANTAC maintain that their motives are not political but are a direct response to the lack of progress on federal agreements regarding highway security and the protection of farmers. The disruption of these key corridors highlights the vulnerability of Mexico’s industrial zones and manufacturing hubs to coordinated labor strikes and security crises.