MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rosario bus drivers resuming work after strike following threatening letter

Two bus drivers have already been murdered this year in Rosario

Urban bus services in the violence-torn Argentine city of Rosario were gradually getting back to normal after the drivers went on strike following a threatening letter in the morning presumably from drug-trafficking groups.

A driver from the local line 153 received a note around 4.30 am containing the drawing of a bullet. Given this intimidating action, most drivers went on strike in solidarity. Union leaders from the guild UTA then started discussing which actions would ensue.

However, after a meeting between them and authorities from the Santa Fe provincial government, the measure of force was lifted and buses started running again through the streets of Rosario. Things went back to normal at around 4 pm local time, it was reported.

According to local media, law enforcement officers will be performing random checkups on passengers while the facilities where buses are parked during the night will be heavily guarded.

UTA leader Sergio Mancini said the workers were aware of the consequences of their stoppage and explained that shifts were being rescheduled so that services could be fully resumed at the earliest, but admitted it would take a few hours.

Two Rosario bus drivers -César Roldán and Marcos Daloia- have already been murdered this year as drug-trafficking gangs reign supreme in a city also known as the Argentine Chicago.