The 500-year-old Guerrero market, one of the oldest markets in Mexico, was forced to shut down its operation for the first time, according to a recently published article.

The Cultural Value of Markets in Mexico 

Markets or "mercados" have been a part of the life and culture of most Mexicans. This is the place where every citizen and tourist in the country can appreciate the beautiful and diverse products of locals. Most importantly, many earn their living in this market.

There are many markets in Mexico that have been the lifeline for both the vendors and consumers. Three of the most popular markets in the country are the La Merced, which once became the largest market in the Americas, La Ciudadela, the place of great artisan Mexican goods, and the Guerrero market.

Even when the Europeans arrived in the country, the oldest markets remained in operation. And most do until today, most notably the Guerrero market. The market has bee serving the consumers for more than 500 years, but not it is forced to close because of the global pandemic for the first time in history.

The violence that occurred in the market like extortion in 2014 has somehow slowed down its operation. However, it did not hinder most vendors from selling their goods. However, others did not return because either they were killed by an organized group or decided to leave to avoid violence.

Impact of Shutting Down the Operation of Guerrero Market 

The municipal government of Chilapa has notified almost 1,000 vendors who are selling their goods under a tarp or booth every Sunday would be canceled and in the next two Sundays to come. The closure of the Guerrero market is expected to have negative impacts in the coming days.

The number of visitors had significantly decreased when the pandemic started to swell in the country. For several weeks, it was also observed that the market ran its operation at minimum capacity and only offered enough to supply local demands. 

Most of the time, vendors could only sell a quarter of their products in a day due to the pandemic, which rarely happened before. Now that the Guerrero market has shut down its operations, it means that many vendors who depend on selling don't have an option to barter their goods.

It has been a practice and a tradition of the vendors to barter even in other markets in Mexico. The pandemic has proved on how it damaged not only the economy of Mexico but its tradition and culture as well. 

Other street vendors in Baja California have resorted to barter their products for food to survive because there are no tourists who will buy their crafts. Typically, before the virus hit the country, they earned just enough to feed their family, but its getting worst. 

They do not have an option but to wait until the COVID-19 infections in the country subside and also wait for other countries not to restrict its travels. 

One of the vendors in the Guerrero market said: "I need food to feed my children, that's why I'm exchanging my hats for food," Her family depends their food on her income in selling hats, but now she has no choice but to barter it so that her family has something to eat. 

Many vendors in Mexico are slowly adopting this scheme. From selling their products and crafts, they are now bartering it for food even though the price or the value seems not equal or the same.