### Residents of Maclovio Rojas Block Access to Tijuana Airport
On the evening of Tuesday, October 1, residents of Maclovio Rojas Márquez in Tijuana blocked access to Tijuana Airport. This protest was in response to the federal government’s failure to regularize 1,252 plots as previously promised.
The promise was made by the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador to deliver 400 free land titles and facilitate another 852 at a subsidized cost, supported by a $17 million subsidy from the Baja California state government, led by Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda. However, there has been no fulfillment of these promises, leaving the residents without legal certainty over their plots.
“The government has not responded to provide legal certainty for the plots. Following our protest at Pemex in May, we were promised 400 titles and a program to regularize 852 more, involving a $17 million contribution from the state government. As of today, there has been no communication on the progress of this,” stated Cassandra Hernández, spokesperson for the residents.
Initially, a significant protest impacting international operations was planned for Monday. However, the presence of military and National Guard units guarding the Pemex distribution plant in Rosarito led the residents to change the protest’s timing and location.
The May 19 protest saw the residents blocking the Pemex plant in Rosarito, causing a fuel shortage in the metropolitan area and subsequent gasoline price hikes of up to three pesos. This was after a failed meeting on May 8 in Mexico City with federal officials and the Ejido Francisco Villa, the land’s legal owner, who did not attend.
In light of the ongoing dispute, the residents have listed their demands for lifting the blockade:
1. **Direct Communication**: A direct meeting with the new Secretary of Government, Rosa Isela Rodríguez.
2. **Title Delivery**: Delivery of the initial property titles by October 7, 2024, via a general assembly of Ejido Francisco Villa.
3. **Legal Review**: A complete analysis of the historical legal issues concerning Maclovio Rojas Márquez to verify the legality of the 197 hectares in question.
4. **Refund of Fees**: Return of money collected by CORETE and the Ejido in 2011 for unfulfilled titles.
5. **Safety Guarantees**: Assurance of safety for movement leaders, who have received recent death threats.
6. **Truce Agreement**: A truce with Ejido General Francisco Villa, including dropping lawsuits against the residents over plot ownership.
7. **Further Regularization**: Agreement on regularizing the remaining plots, totaling approximately 4,000, after completing the initial programs.
The residents have stated that if their demands are not met, the blockade will continue indefinitely.
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#### Gas Shortage in Tijuana: Historical Impact of Fuel Protests
Residents of Maclovio Rojas have a history of staging impactful protests, such as the one on May 19, which blocked the Pemex distribution plant in Rosarito and led to significant fuel shortages in the Tijuana metropolitan area. This previous protest was in direct response to unfulfilled promises by both federal and state governments regarding land title regularizations. With tensions escalating once more and critical infrastructure like the Tijuana Airport being targeted, local and federal authorities are under increased pressure to address and resolve the underlying issues promptly.