Merchants and importers at the Municipal Wholesale Market in Asunción report that a structure of corruption and extortion remains active at the site, despite a change in leadership carried out two months ago. In May, Mayor Luis Bello appointed Ricardo Téllez to the position, replacing Carlos García, who had been removed following complaints from the vendors themselves.
According to the president of the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Importers and Merchants (ASICOFRU), Karen Leguizamón, five employees from the operations area continue to go through the market to collect "coimas" (bribes). She states that, in exchange for this irregular payment, the employees allow informal vendors to set up in the areas surrounding the building to offer products at lower prices, creating unfair competition. "They know that these five are the cancer of the Wholesale Market," Leguizamón declared.
In addition to corruption, insecurity is another serious problem. Corn producer Pablo Hermosa reported that strangers to the market enter the site outside of operating hours. Last Saturday, a homicide allegedly occurred in the corn section, where an argument ended with a victim being stabbed with a husking knife. Leguizamón criticized the administration for not providing clear information about the case.
Faced with municipal inaction, the vendors sent a formal request for intervention to the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Marco Riquelme. They also suspect that the deliberate neglect of the market is part of a plan to hand over its administration to private investors.
The merchants have issued an ultimatum: they demand the immediate dismissal and removal of the five accused employees. Otherwise, they announced they will hold protests in the streets.