Coke pulls out of violence-plagued town in Guerrero

Coca-Cola is iconic in Mexico. Photo: Getty

Coca-Cola’s local partner has pulled its operations in Guerrero after withstanding attacks by organized gangsters.

Femsa, the world’s largest Coke bottler, made the announcement on Friday, leaving 160 workers at its distribution center in Ciudad Altamirano jobless.

State authorities expressed regret over the decision, admitting that they were unable to protect Femsa from violence and intimidation. Two armed attacks were reported at the facility this week alone.

“The lack of conditions necessary to operate in an efficient and safe way in this area of the state of Guerrero, as well as the recent unwarranted aggression towards one of our workers, led to the company taking this decision,” Femsa said in a statement.

The company said it “profoundly regrets that the absence of law and the prevalence of impunity that affects the region has led us to stop working in a territory where we have been for more than four decades.”

Guerrero’s most famous city is the Pacific resort of Acapulco, which has lost its position as a desirable international destination thanks to opium-growing drug cartels and endemic corruption.

Shares in Coca-Cola Femsa were down 2.25 percent on Friday afternoon.

Source: Reuters

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