Protesters took control of vehicle lanes at one of the busiest crossings on the U.S. border Sunday to oppose Mexican gasoline price hikes.
Protesters have looted dozens of gas stations and supermarkets across the country. Nearly 2,000 have been arrested for suspected involvement in property damage and violence.
High prices and the closing of over 100 gas stations in Mexico have led to many Mexicans crossing the U.S. border to fill up their tanks.
"We will do everything necessary to make the gasoline adjustment affect families as little as possible," Peña Nieto said earlier today amid widespread outrage over 20% gas price hike.
Demonstrators carry signs reading "End gas price hike" and “Peña Nieto out"
Police in the state of Sonora fought a pitched three-hour battle to free a border rail crossing at Nogales that had been blocked by people protesting a gasoline price increase
During a televised address to the nation, President Enrique Peña Nieto defended the gas price hike as an extremely difficult but necessary decision his administration had to make.
The increase takes effect beginning today and applies to all of its services in Mexico.
Mexicans were enraged by the 20-percent fuel price hike announced over the weekend as part of a government deregulation effort
The Cybercrime Police has detected over 1,500 fake social networks accounts encouraging the looting of stores and portraying the protests over gas price hike as violent