Mexico Prioritizes Military Barracks in Hurricane Otis Reconstruction Plans, Hotel Owners Face Financial Struggle

Mexican government refuses government loans and grants for hotel reconstruction, instead offering to pay half the interest on private bank loans amidst outcry and protests from Acapulco residents; massive permanent military presence on the cards with plans to build 38 new military barracks.

• The Mexican government has prioritized the construction of 38 new military barracks over hotel reconstruction in Acapulco following the destructive Hurricane Otis, planning to station between 9,500 and 10,000 National Guard troops permanently in the resort town.
• President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has refused consideration for government loans or grants for hotel reconstruction, offering instead to pay only half the interest on private bank loans, despite many hotels being reduced to their skeletal frames in the hurricane's aftermath.
• The government's refusal to allocate specific funds in the 2024 budget for reconstruction efforts led Acapulco residents to stage protests, demanding a rebuilding program roughly four times the size of the $3.4 billion plan that was announced.
• Much of the $3.4 billion aid program funds will be allocated toward payments of $2,000-$3,000 per damaged home, temporary job programs, free electricity for several months, and the distribution of 250,000 appliances and weekly food packages.
• Concurrent with its hurricane reconstruction plans, the Mexican government intends to massively ramp up security in crime-plagued Acapulco by nearly tripling the National Guard deployment in the state of Guerrero, making it home to the largest deployment in any state.

3 Articles

Washington Post Associated Press Reuters