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Porteadores Suspend Protest. For Now.

The porteadores (informal taxis) have called off their protest for today, Friday. The group has said it will wait the announcement of the government that has promised them an answer by next Wednesday.

Leaders of the porteadores were adamant that if a mutual accord is not reached, there will be more blockades.

On Wednesday, police had to use tear gas and call in the anti-riot group to re-open the Zapote rotonda and quell a confrontation that left up to 10 police officers injured and several of the porteadores, when the peaceful action turned violent.

At the heart of the problem, the porteadores say they were promised by the current government to right to operate within the law, while the current legislature is getting set to vote on changes to the "Codigo de Comercio" (Commercial Code) that eliminates the porteo and thus make the services of porteadores illegal.

The porteo allows private individuals and companies to provide private transportation services, meaning they cannot pick up customers on-the-fly in the same way as the official taxis and must have a written contract between the provider of the service and customer.

Opponents to the porteo say that most of the porteadores act as taxis, picking customers on the street corner, including using taxi meters (marías) similar to the taxis, but without the required semi-annual vehicle inspections and required insurance that formal taxis must comply with and place customers at risk.

However, the porteadores say that the majority of the group comply or would comply with any regulations placed on them and that, in a democratic state, they have the right to earn a living.

The decision on the porteo is expected on Wednesday, after which the porteadores have to increase their protests if the decision, what they say the government has promised them, goes their way.