Baja California Sur Governor Víctor Castro Cosío publicly backed State Transportation Director Martín Salinas on Tuesday, rejecting demands from tourist transport operators in Los Cabos who called for Salinas’s removal. The standoff follows a 10-hour blockade that shut down the main access road into Cabo San Lucas on May 4.
“Those operating crooked will have to straighten up,” Castro Cosío said, vowing that enforcement operations would continue. The governor said operators were trying to pressure his administration into firing the transport director, but he confirmed Salinas would remain in his position.
What Triggered the Cabo Blockade
The dispute began when state inspectors impounded two tourist transport vans during a transit operation on the night of May 4. Operators responded by blocking the Transpeninsular Highway, the main route connecting San José del Cabo International Airport to downtown Cabo San Lucas.
The blockade lasted more than 10 hours and caused widespread disruption. At least one international cruise ship canceled its passenger disembarkation, downtown restaurants reported a wave of cancellations, and thousands of hospitality workers were stranded. Airport transfers and hotel arrivals ground to a halt along one of Baja’s busiest corridors.
QR Code System at Center of Dispute
At the heart of the conflict is a mandatory QR code registration system the state has imposed on tourist transport vehicles. Operators have resisted the new requirement and are calling for federal intervention from the SCT (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes), Mexico’s federal transportation agency.
The blockade was eventually lifted after the Los Cabos municipal government intervened. Alberto Rentería Santana, secretary general of the XV Los Cabos City Council, confirmed that dialogue sessions with transport operators led to the road being reopened. A follow-up meeting is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 8, with municipal authorities serving as mediators.
More Disruptions Possible
With the governor refusing to budge and operators still organized, the possibility of further work stoppages remains. This is the second major highway blockade in Cabo San Lucas in recent weeks. In late April, residents of the Fundadores neighborhood blocked the same highway near the La Sanluqueña bullring to protest a seven-year water and electricity shortage.
Travelers passing through Los Cabos should build extra time into airport transfers and check with hotel staff for real-time road conditions.
This story was first reported by Colectivo Pericú and El Sudcaliforniano.