Travel Advisory: Protests Close Downtown Southbound Traffic into Mexico

Protests Decry Spike in Gas Prices Following National Deregulation 

Update: Nogales, Mexico police fire shots at January 9 border protest

January 4, 2016

Signaling the beginning of what may be a tumultuous year in Mexico, protesters gathered near the international border in Nogales to demonstrate their opposition to a recent Mexican federal deregulation of gasoline prices that has caused a 20 percent spike in gas pump costs nationwide, including in Nogales, Sonora.

The protests have blocked downtown southbound traffic lanes into Mexico, which prompted a closure of Sonora-bound traffic from Grand Avenue and has also prevented trains from crossing the border.

There have been nationwide demonstrations against the new Mexican energy policy for days, since the government’s announcement of the January deregulation caused Pemex stations in many southern Mexico states to hoard gasoline in anticipation of the price hikes.

There were not shortages locally, but after the new pricing policy took effect residents took to the streets to add Nogales to the list of Mexican cities expressing anger over the higher gas prices.

The demonstrations do not affect northbound traffic at the Grand Avenue DeConcini border entry, and traffic at the Mariposa Port is not affected.