transportation

Canatraca lifts border blockade

Truck drivers ended their protest yesterday after reaching an agreement with authorities.

The Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias has 10 days to finish work on the new transportation regulations.

LA PRENSA

Flow:The Paso Canoa border crossing reopened yesterday.1056269

Panamanian truckers lifted their blockade of the main border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama yesterday after reaching a compromise agreement with authorities. As part of the agreement, the Cámara Nacional del Transporte de Carga (Canatraca) will reopen the border at Paso Canoa within the next 10 days, while work on a resolution that regulates transportation of international cargo between the two countries is completed.

The transportation of goods across the border had been suspended since July 5, when Canatraca drivers parked their trucks at Paso Canoa, to pressure the government to address rising fuel prices, restrict foreign competition and institute a system of digitizing international cargo.

Losses amounted to more than half a million dollars during the four-day strike. Upwards of 200 trucks lined up along the nearby highway, paralyzing movement across the border.

Canatraca president Manuel Mora confirmed that the union had agreed to allow the Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias a period of 10 days in order to finish work on the new resolution.

He said that the agreement was made yesterday at 12:45 p.m. in Chiriquí, and the strike ended shortly afterwards.