Ejidatarios Block Vallarta-Guadalajara Highway Junction, Demand $300 Million in Compensation

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco – April 23, 2025

More than one hundred ejidatarios from the communities of Ixtapa, Las Juntas, El Guayabo, and San José del Valle, along with local ranchers and landowners, staged a protest Wednesday morning, blocking access to the Vallarta-Guadalajara highway junction.

The demonstration, which began around 8:30 a.m., aimed to draw attention to what protestors claim is a long-overdue compensation—amounting to approximately 300 million pesos—for land affected by highway construction. While the group blocked the junction, they made efforts not to disrupt traffic along Avenida Francisco Medina Ascencio.

The protestors say they have been waiting for over a year for payment from federal authorities, despite repeated promises. Their demands include not only the full financial compensation but also the proper completion of ongoing construction work on their lands.

“We’ve been patient, but this has gone on long enough,” said Héctor Ortiz, president of the Ixtapa ejido commission. “Our lands have been affected, and we deserve what is rightfully ours.”

Ortiz added that he had already contacted the regional delegate of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transport (SCT) in Nayarit, and they are now awaiting his arrival at the protest site.

As tensions rise, the ejidatarios say they are prepared to maintain their presence until government representatives meet with them directly and provide concrete answers.