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Mexican Labor Leader’s Arrest Draws Protests as USMCA Trade Deal Goes into Effect

HeadlineJul 01, 2020

A new trade deal meant to replace the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement goes into effect today. Among its provisions, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement includes additional labor protections aimed at making it easier for Mexican workers to unionize.

This comes after prominent Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto Terrazas was arrested in the northern border town of Matamoros over accusations of inciting riots for her ongoing support of striking maquiladora workers. This is a spokesperson and attorney for the Prieto family.

Alyn Alvidrez: “Fifteen thousand workers have expressed their will to join us, the union, in a petition. At the moment, they are defenseless after Prieto’s arrest. It’s a warning to the workers. But not only that, the more than 3,800 active court cases where Prieto is their trial attorney have a time limit, and Prieto’s clients are all left unprotected.”

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