Guerrero recovery advances after Otis without amount of damage and possible social risks

Mexico City, Oct 31 (EFE).- The repair and damage count work continues in Acapulco, after six days of the impact of Hurricane Otis, while companies, insurers and the Mexican Government evaluate the factors necessary for the economic recovery of one of the main tourist destinations in the country which, in a first estimate, could reach 14,181 million euros.

After almost a week of the impact, the risk analysis firm specialized in natural disasters and wars Enki Research has estimated that the impact would reach 14,181 million euros and at least 3 million Mexicans located on the coasts of the southern state of Guerrero , in the Mexican Pacific, which mostly depend on tourism and services in the country, have been affected.

“In this case, almost 3 million people experienced tropical storm force winds, and the damage is likely close to US$15 billion,” reads its most recent report on this phenomenon.

In this context, the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, promised this Tuesday to “put Acapulco back on its feet” by Christmas, after Otis left 46 dead, 58 missing and a number of damages not yet officially quantified. .

The Secretary of Tourism, Miguel Torruco, said in an appearance with deputies of the Mexican Congress last Monday that it would not be until next week when it will be announced how much the reconstruction of the infrastructure on the coasts of the southern state of Guerrero will cost.

“In a week we will be in a position to say more or less how much the reconstruction will cost,” he said and reported that progress is being made hand in hand with the insurance sector in Mexico to accelerate the compensation process for those affected after the Otis blow.

Likewise, the Government of Mexico has reported that it holds daily meetings with the business sector to evaluate, identify and calculate the damages, requirements and needs of the areas affected by Otis.

“It should be noted that, at this time, the priority continues to be safeguarding the life and physical integrity of the people of Acapulco and supplying water, food and medicine, mainly, in a constant and orderly manner,” the Ministry of Economy said in a statement.

In this sense, the Mexican authorities detailed that different mechanisms are designed with resources from the three levels of Government and support from the Mexican private initiative.

While rehabilitation plans are being executed in the port of Acapulco expeditiously to achieve the prompt recovery of businesses and jobs.

According to official data, Hurricane Otis impacted 98% of the homes and 80% of the hotels in Acapulco, in addition to 65% of the coast, equivalent to more than 4,685 hectares and damaged 865 kilometers of roads and more than 2,487 hectares only in Acapulco.

For its part, the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions (Amis) announced that in Acapulco there are 16,000 insured assets, as well as their contents, in addition to 20,000 vehicles with a current policy.

“Otis will most likely be on the list of the 10 most catastrophic events in the sector,” commented Norma Alicia Rosas, general director of AMIS.

Meanwhile, the consulting firm Integralia also estimated possible social and political problems that could lead to aggravating the problem, such as, for example, the poor response of the Mexican Government to the tragedy.

In addition, he foresaw a risk of social disruption, since Acapulco, the city most affected by Otis, contributes 80% of tourist activity and six out of every 10 Mexicans in this area live in poverty.

“Given the effects on tourist and public infrastructure, episodes of ‘social conflict’ cannot be ruled out while the region recovers (the looting of businesses is a manifestation in this sense),” he indicated in his report.

Furthermore, Integralia considered it “foreseeable” that López Obrador and other powerful actors, such as criminal groups, would seek to monopolize reconstruction to obtain political advantage.

“If this happens, Acapulco’s recovery capacity will be slow and limited and the precarious social conditions of Guerrero will worsen even further,” he said.

He also estimated that a possible obstruction by some opposition actors could undermine the reconstruction efforts; although he anticipated possible political effects on the social base of the ruling National Regeneration Movement party (Morena), although not necessarily on López Obrador, “whose popularity is solid and almost always manages to escape the cost of crises.”